Arc's 15th virtual Poet-in-Residence

Arc’s Poet-in-Residence (PIR) program offers our country-wide community of writers the chance to participate in virtual mentorships with an influential Canadian poet. Between 30 and 60 poets participate yearly, in roughly one-month-long mentorships. The Poet-in-Residence is also commissioned to create new work for publication in an issue of Arc Poetry Magazine. The 2023/2024 program year goes from November 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024.

Please Note: this project is pending funding and subject to change. Arc Poetry Magazine reserves the right to cancel or modify this program without further notice.

The PIR will not be required to relocate during the nine-month residency; however, up to one week of travel and readings are required of the PIR, to promote the launch of Arc Poetry Magazine 106 (Spring 2025);
The PIR having regular access to e-mail and online communication platforms will be essential for the mentorship portion of this virtual residency;
The PIR will provide a minimum of ten hours of mentoring per month of the residency, working with a range of six to ten participants per month;
Tailored mentoring will include written assessments of approximately 250 words, a tailored recommended reading list, and phone and/or e-mail consultation with participants where necessary;
The PIR will undertake to clarify with each participant in the program that the opinions are those of the PIR and not those of the Arc Poetry Society or of Arc Poetry Magazine;
In order to prepare a thorough mentoring statement, the PIR may request a larger sampling of a participant’s work where necessary;
The PIR will be an “ambassador” for Arc for the term of their residency, and will include their status as such in their bios and profiles;
The PIR will create ten to fifteen printed pages of original work for publication in Arc Poetry Magazine 106 (Spring 2025); and,
The PIR will recommend, based on the PIR’s sole analysis, a selection of a participant’s work for possible publication in Arc Poetry Magazine.

Remuneration

The contract fee for the PIR will be $10,000, pending funding. Payment will be monthly for the duration of the term, although an alternative payment schedule is negotiable. Standard writer’s fee rates will apply for publications in Arc.

How to Apply

Application packages should be sent via email to Arc’s Managing Editor Chris Johnson (he/they) at managingeditor@arcpoetry.ca.

Application packages must be received by 11:59pm EST on June 30th, 2023.

We encourage candidates contact managingeditor@arcpoetry.ca regarding assistance that we can provide to individuals with disabilities who may have difficulty putting together an application package.

Candidates should be Canadian citizens or have a permanent residency in Canada, and candidates should have a strong background in the practice of contemporary poetry. Candidates should also have at least one full-length collection published by an established Canadian publisher. Members of the Arc board of directors and editorial board or their family members are not eligible to apply.

Arc is committed to diversity and inclusivity, and strongly encourages applications from candidates who identify with historically marginalized groups and underserved communities, including but not limited to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America as well as racialized people, persons with disabilities, and those who are 2SLGBTQ+.

A candidate’s application package for the Arc PIR position should include (1) a short cover letter, (2) a literary CV, (3) a statement of their mentoring philosophy and experience, and (4) a summary of a proposed writing project that the PIR applicant plans to work on during their residency.

Application packages should be a combined maximum of 1,000 words (not counting the literary CV). Please prepare three references; do not supply reference letters or their contact information until requested. Including reviews of published work are encouraged but not required.