Introducing VMI’s Connected Studio
NEWS!
Introducing VMI’s Connected Studio
For a few years we have been running monthly drop-in Zoom sessions for the writers enrolled in the Six-Month Intensive only. These meetings create community, provide structure to writers, and are a place to share practical aspects of the writing life. We’ve packaged these meetings into a new segment of VMI called Connected Studio.
As of 2026, the Connected Studio (six drop-in Zoom sessions) is included in tuition for all VMI programs, including SOLOS and the Yosef Wosk VMI Fellow.
Graduates, we care about you, too!
Because we love fostering community and have found that contact among our current mentees and graduates is a resource for us all, we are inviting all VMI graduates from any year to join the VMI Connected Studio for an annual fee of $120. Having a one-time fee and allowing drop-in flexibility helps VMI keep things simple on our end while offering you flexibility.
These six Zoom sessions will be led by VMI director Elee Kraljii Gardiner with guest hosts including VMI mentors and special guests from the literary industry and community including:
- Rachel Letofsky, senior literary agent with Transatlantic Literary Agency on what to know about working with an agent
- Catriona Strang, editor at Talonbooks, sharing the editor’s perspective on poetry and memoir
- Petra Chambers, Yosef Wosk VMI Fellow, Best Canadian Poetry and Best Canadian Stories 2026, on submitting your work to journals and publications
- Dr. Bronwen Tate, Undergraduate Chair in School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, on how to build and sustain writing groups
Some sessions will include writing prompts as well as the chance to share your work. Find out more here.
Deadline approaching!
Applications for the Yosef Wosk VMI Fellowship are open until November 10, 2025. Check out info and the submission form here. Please share with any writers you think would fit the mandate.
Update on the Warland Award
Have you seen the website? You can find all details here. Our submission period for the 2025 Warland Award begins November 1 and closes December 1.
Changes
And finally, we want to share an important update with our community. We extend our deepest gratitude to Alison Braid for her dedication and care in stewarding the Warland Award and helping VMI grow. Alison’s commitment to championing hybrid literature and supporting VMI writers has been invaluable, and we wish her all the best in her next chapter.
As Alison moves forward, we’re delighted to welcome Selena Mercuri to the team as the new coordinator for the Warland Award and as VMI administrative assistant. Selena is an MFA candidate at the University of Guelph and a book publicist at River Street Writes. She is also Reviews Editor at The New Quarterly. We know we will benefit from her experience!
We’re excited for this next chapter and look forward to hearing from you!
Subscribe to our newsletter through the VMA website to follow along.
Wishing you good writing time!