Laurier’s Edna Staebler writer in residence announced for winter term

Ali Bryan has been selected to be the Edna Staebler Writer in Virtual Residence at Wilfrid Laurier University for the winter term.

The award-winning fiction author works in the genres of contemporary, dystopian and young adult fiction, as well as with creative nonfiction and personal essays.

Her first novel, Roost, won the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction. Her second novel, The Figgs, was also a finalist for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. It has been optioned for TV as well.

Bryan plans to publish her most recent adult fiction, The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships, in the spring of 2023.

“We are excited to welcome Ali Bryan as our Writer in Residence, for the first of the Edna Staebler Writer in Residence-ships to be entirely virtual,” explained Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies and chair of the Edna Staebler Writer in Residence Committee.

“Ali’s wide-ranging literary career has made her savvy to the nuances of genre writing and publishing, as well as exploring more traditional literary forms like the short story and the personal essay.”

Bryan will participate in some one-on-one meetings and workshops as part of her residency. She will also visit classes and give guest lectures.

“I'm thrilled to serve the vibrant Laurier community as 2022 Edna Staebler Writer in Residence and look forward to all the opportunities the position will generate, including new ideas, exchanges, perspectives, connections and of course, new writing,” said Bryan. 

The Edna Staebler Laurier Writer in Residence program was established in 2012 to honour the legacy of the late Edna Staebler, the creative non-fiction writer and author of the very popular Schmecks books that celebrate the culture of Waterloo Region.