National Public Readings Program Application Form

Applications are now open for readings taking place this Spring through the Union's National Public Readings program, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Apply now for in-person or live virtual public author readings taking place between April 1 and August 31, 2025. Authors participating in this program must be members of The Writers' Union of Canada. Deadline: February 17, 2025, 11:59 pm EST.

Please note: Applications received usually exceed available funding and it may not be possible to fund all applications. 

Reminder: TWUC Members and Host Organizations are each 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).

Deadline: February 17, 2025, 11:59 pm EST.

Do not submit more applications than you are eligible for. If you submit more applications than you are eligible for, your applications will not be reviewed.

Please ensure you have reviewed the National Public Readings program guidelines before applying.

 

Author Details

As part of the Union’s Equity Implementation Plan, applications for readings featuring authors who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQI2S, or living with a disability will be prioritized.

The author for this reading is (please check all that apply):
*The author publicly self-identifies using one of these terms or a related term from the LGBTQI2S lexicon. **The author publicly self-identifies as living with a disability.
Reading Details
Is this event self-hosted or hosted by an organization?
Requested reading:
Please note: This funding period is for Spring/Summer readings (April 1 –  August 31).
Will this event be in-person or virtual?
Include street address, city/town/First Nation, province/territory, and postal code. 

The Union strongly encourages 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.

Is the venue for this reading wheelchair-accessible, including a wheelchair-accessible washroom?
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.
Host Organization Details
Include street address, city/town/First Nation, province/territory, and postal code.
Format: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Funding Eligibility
I confirm this reading's travel and honoraria is not funded by another Canada Council for the Arts program.
I confirm this reading will be advertised and open to the public and is not part of a conference, workshop, roundtable discussion, fundraising event, book prize, or podcast.
I understand that if this reading is approved, funding for this event is non-transferable, due to large demand on the Union’s funding programs.
I confirm that I have spoken with the author and they have agreed to participate in the reading if funding is approved.