Welcome to the Creative Writing Hub at Carleton University!

Your gateway for information about our annual poetry competitions and literary showcases, news surrounding Creative Writing within the department and beyond, and a variety of upcoming events.

For more information on the Creative Writing Concentration, please click here.

Program graduate and current PhD student Maya Chorney discusses why she chose Carleton’s English program and its Creative Writing Concentration. Known for supportive and collegial writing workshops, a close-knit student and faculty community, and opportunities to build a polished writing portfolio in multiple genres, the Creative Writing Concentration has enabled Maya to hone her skills as a budding novelist.

Publishing Opportunities

Sumac Literary Magazine

Are you interested in getting your work published outside of Carleton? Please click here for a list of literary journals that has been compiled by the Department of English. This list is updated and refreshed frequently.

Annual Prizes and Scholarships

Lilian I. Found Award for Poetry

This Award is offered annually for the best unpublished poem of 50 lines or less by an undergraduate student currently enrolled at Carleton. The donor is the late Mrs. Lilian. I. Found, who endowed the Award in 1950, and was the convener of the Ottawa Poetry Group and Canadian Poetry Contest in the 1940s. An independent judge from Ottawa’s poetry community selects all award winners annually. Application required. Details may be obtained here.

Burton M. Heward Scholarship in Creative Writing

The Burton M. Heward Scholarship in Creative Writing is awarded annually on the recommendation of the Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature to an outstanding student proceeding from one year to another in a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Endowed in 2022 in loving memory of Burton Meredith Heward BA/60 in recognition of his 40-year career as a newspaper writer and editor and to honour his passion for Canadian writers. No application is required.

David Whellam’s Scholarship in Creative Writing

Awarded annually on the recommendation of the Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature to an outstanding undergraduate student entering or proceeding from one year to another in a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Endowed in 2024 in loving memory of David Whellams, BA/69, to honor his interest in writing. Although he had a career as a lawyer for the federal government, Dave enjoyed writing in his free time, penning newspaper articles, a play, and a series of three mystery novels before he passed away in February 2024 from Parkinson’s disease.

George Johnston Poetry Awards

Three prizes are awarded annually for the best unpublished poem (up to 5 poems may be submitted, not to exceed 250 lines) submitted by full or part-time students currently enrolled at Carleton. The late George Johnston, was a distinguished Canadian poet, professor, and founding member of the English Department at Carleton. His colleagues originally established this prize in his honour in 1992. An independent judge from Ottawa’s poetry community selects all award winners annually. Application required. Details may be obtained here.

Creative Writing Courses at Carleton

Interested in taking one of our Creative Writing courses? We offer workshops at the second, third, and fourth year level. For more information, please click here.