Langara Foundation Writer in Residence
Elevating voices. Inspiring imagination.
Langara’s Writer in Residence program brings acclaimed Canadian authors to campus for a semester of mentorship, readings, and workshops. It’s a rare chance for students to connect directly with the literary world and explore new ways of telling their stories.
Since 2017, the program has welcomed an exceptional roster of writers — from Vancouver’s former Poet Laureate Evelyn Lau, to novelist Rawi Hage (De Niro’s Game), to poet and essayist Lindsay Wong (The Woo-Woo). Each has brought a unique voice and perspective to campus, helping students sharpen their skills and expand their creative potential.
In 2025, Langara welcomed award-winning Barbadian-Canadian author Jasmine Sealy as Writer in Residence. Sealy’s debut novel The Island of Forgetting won the UBC/HarperCollins Best New Fiction Prize and was named a best book of the year by CBC, The Globe and Mail, and The Sunday Times (UK). Her time at Langara included readings, public talks, and one-on-one mentorship with student writers.
There is no such thing as wasted words… Anything you create has value, because now something exists in the world that didn’t before, thanks to you.
Jasmine Sealy
Writers like Sealy, Hage, Lau, and Wong provide real-world insight and build student confidence. As one student put it: “I never thought I’d get personal feedback from a published author.”
With your support, we can:
- Attract high-profile authors from across the country.
- Offer public readings and literary events to the broader community.
- Build long-term infrastructure for writing and publishing programs.
- Make the Writer in Residence a permanent fixture at the College.
