Author Eligibility

• Authors participating in this program must be members of the Union (whether the event has a host organization or is self-hosted by the author).
• Each member is eligible for up to two full readings or four partial readings, or any combination equivalent to two full readings, each fiscal year (April 1 – March 31). Of these readings, only one can be a self-hosted virtual event.
• Authors can share a reading with another author. However, authors participating in this program must be members of the Union. Each participating author must complete an application. As applications almost always exceed available funding, we cannot guarantee that both applications will be approved.

Host Eligibility

• Host organizations are eligible for funding for two full readings or four partial readings, or any combination equivalent to two full readings, each fiscal year (April 1 – March 31). 

Funding periods: Applications for Fall/Winter readings (September 1 – March 31) typically open in June and applications for Spring/Summer readings (April 1 – August 31) will open in late January. Applications received usually exceed available funding and it may not be possible to fund all applications. Do not submit more applications than you are eligible for.

Eligible Events

In order to be eligible for funding through this program:

• Participating author(s) must be Union member(s).
• Virtual reading(s) must be live, take place on a publicly accessible platform (e.g., Facebook Live, GoogleMeet, YouTube, Zoom), and include audio and video.
• Readings must take place in Canada.
• Readings must be advertised to the public in advance and acknowledge funding support from The Writers' Union of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts.
• Attendance numbers and book sales must be provided as part of the Final Report. 
• Copies of promotional materials must be included as part of the Final Report. 

Ineligible Events

The following events, activities, and hosts are not eligible for funding through this program:

• Conferences, workshops, roundtable discussions, fundraising events, book prizes, or podcasts.
• School or classroom visits.
• Readings for which reading fees are funded by another program of the Canada Council for the Arts.
• For host organization applicants: readings by authors who sit on a board or executive committee of the host organization for the period during which the host organization has applied for and received funding.
• For host organization applicants: readings by authors who are staff or volunteers with the host organization.
• For host organization applicants: readings hosted by publishers.

Host organizations and authors may apply for funding for in-person or virtual readings. In this program, we refer to full and partial readings: 

• A full reading includes a minimum of 15 minutes of reading time per author, excluding additional time for discussion or questions.
• A partial reading involves more than one author and includes 5–15 minutes of reading time per author, excluding additional time for discussion or questions. 

Host organizations must arrange a date for the reading with the author(s) before applying for funding.

Please note: NPR program funding is provided to encourage public engagement with literary work, and is in no way an endorsement of opinions or activities of anyone accessing the funding.

The Union pays the author’s reading rates directly to the author as follows:

• For a full reading, we pay a reading rate of $300.
• For a partial reading, we pay a reading rate of $150.

Participating authors will be required to complete a Final Report (TWUC Member Portal login required). Reading rates are paid directly to the author following the successful completion of the event and receipt of the author’s report.

Please note: Funding for this program is non-transferable, due to large demand on the Union's funding programs. If your member dues are in arrears when your report is submitted, dues will be deducted from the reading fee.

There are two ways for hosts to contact authors:

• Use the member directory to check the author’s profile for an email address.
• Send an email to the author care of The Writers’ Union of Canada to info@writersunion.ca.

Author contact information is intended for booking purposes only. Please respect authors’ privacy.

We encourage you to consider presenter and audience access needs as you plan your virtual or in-person events (e.g., closed captioning, ASL interpretation). We also encourage you to make accessibility information available to your audience as part of your promotional materials. In-person events held in fully accessible venues will be prioritized. 

Travel reimbursement is available for readings taking place more than 100km from the author's home to a maximum of $100. TWUC's travel contribution is capped in order to maximize the number of readings available for members. Copies of travel expense receipts (with the exception of mileage for which no receipt is required) will need to be uploaded when completing the Final Report (TWUC Member Portal login required).

As part of the Union’s Equity Implementation Plan, a portion of funding will be allocated to applications for readings by members who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQI2S, or living with a disability.

Before applying be sure to:

• Read the program information and eligibility requirements;
• Review Frequently Asked Questions on the program.

Your application will include basic details about your event, including:

• Self-hosted or host organization;
• In-person or virtual event;
• Full or partial reading;
• Venue or virtual platform;
• Estimated audience;
• Planned reading date.

Applications are currently closed. Application results are provided within 4 weeks of the application deadline. The Union notifies applicants by email. Applications and reports must be submitted online. Hard copies will not be considered.

NPR program readings must be advertised to the community at large. Copies of advertisements and promotional materials must be submitted to the Union with your Final Report (e.g., screenshots of digital promotion/event pages, PDFs of posters). All publicity materials must include logos to acknowledge The Writers' Union of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts. Click here to access logo and acknowledgement guidelines. 

A reminder that email and text messages alone do not constitute promotional materials. It is expected that additional outreach efforts (e.g., posters, social media posts, newsletter announcements, local papers) will be part of your marketing for the event.

Participating authors will be required to complete a Final Report that includes attendance numbers, book sales, and copies of promotional materials. Fees are paid directly to the author following the successful completion of the event and receipt of the author’s report. The report will be your invoice to TWUC for your reading fees. Please submit this form after your reading.

To complete the Final Report, log into the TWUC Member Portal. All members have an existing account. If you don’t know your login information, use the Forgot Password tool. Please do not create a new account.

For more information about this program, please contact Program Manager, Kristina Cuenca, kcuenca@writersunion.ca.

This program is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.