Authors participating in this program must be members of the Union. This program provides funding for author appearances in Ontario’s schools. If you are visiting an Ontario school, you are eligible to apply. Each member is eligible for up to four visits per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31), however members can only apply for up to two readings per funding period (Spring/Fall)

Each school is eligible for three presentations per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31), however schools can only apply for up to two readings per funding period (Spring/Fall). Funding from this program supports presentations for elementary and secondary schools in Ontario. Post-secondary institutions are not eligible.

Applications for Fall/Winter readings (September 1 – March 31) typically open in June and applications for Spring/Summer readings (April 1 – August 31) typically open in January. Application results are provided to the applicant within 4 weeks of the deadline.

Please note: Funding for 2024 has not yet been confirmed. While we are currently accepting applications, all visits through this program are contingent on confirmation of funding. 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.

Participating authors will deliver an in-person or live virtual presentation as agreed upon with the teacher.

When applying for funding, authors must have an arrangement with the school to participate in the program. You do not need an exact date but the reading must take place within 30 days of the proposed date on your application.

A school visit is considered 1-2 hours of professional time for an author, presentation time included.

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

There are two ways for schools to contact authors:

• Use the list of participating authors 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.

TWUC members apply directly for funding for school presentations. The Union pays the author’s fee of $300 per school presentation. 

Participating authors will be required to complete a Final Report (TWUC Member Portal login required). Fees are paid directly to the author following the successful completion of the presentation 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.

In-person visits must follow all local public health restrictions. The Union does not in any way encourage public gatherings outside of personal comfort and public guidelines. Virtual presentations must be live. Authors should consult with the teacher about what format will work for their classroom, including any privacy, accessibility, or online security considerations. Advance discussions will ensure the best virtual presentation for each classroom.

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).

If you are planning a visit to a northern or remote school in person and you are seeking additional travel reimbursement, please contact Program Manager, Kristina Cuenca, kcuenca@writersunion.ca to discuss.

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 presentation, including:

• In-person or virtual presentation;
• School name, address, and contact person;
• Classroom grade level and anticipated number of students;
• Proposed date of presentation (you do not need an exact date but the reading must take place within 30 days of the proposed date on your application).

Applications are currently closed. Application results for Spring/Summer readings will be provided within 4 weeks of the application deadline. The Union will notify applicants by email. Applications for Fall/Winter readings (September 1 – March 31) will open in June 2024. Applications for Spring/Summer readings (April 1 – August 31) typically open in January.

WITS program presentations do not require promotional materials. In instances where authors would like to acknowledge funding support (e.g., social media, website), the following sentence may be used: With funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario through The Writers' Union of Canada. If you are publicly acknowledging funding from the program, materials should include TWUC's logo, the OAC logo, and Government of Ontario logo. Click here to access logo and acknowledgement guidelines.

Participating authors will be required to complete a Final Report that includes the date of the presentation to the school and the number of students who attended the presentation. Fees are paid directly to the author following the successful completion of the presentation and receipt of the author’s report. The report will be your invoice to TWUC for your author's fee. Please submit this form after your reading.

Please note: if your member dues are in arrears when your report is submitted, dues will be deducted from the author's fee.

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.