Audible Indigenous Writers' Circle >>

Audible Indigenous Writers' Circle

The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle is a six-month mentorship and workshop program for emerging First Nations, Inuit and Métis writers in Canada looking to elevate their stories. The 2022 program will launch this summer, apply to participate today!


About the Indigenous Writers' Circle

Audible has embarked on a mission to elevate the voices of Indigenous peoples in Canada, in an effort to enhance equity and support reconciliation.

The Writers’ Circle will support the next wave of emerging Indigenous writers, by leveraging Audible’s resources and creative community connections to provide mentorship and learning opportunities that will help program participants tell their own stories.

Emerging writers in the program will be paired up with Indigenous mentors who will coach and guide participants through the creative process, and help them identify and pursue opportunities in line with their goals as writers.

Participants will also benefit from immersive workshops where they will learn from some of the industry’s leading creators, publishers, content managers, writers and marketers.

Audible will provide additional support to the participants throughout the program, including guidance on how participants can promote their work. At the end of the program, depending on what stage each writer has progressed their creative work and how they choose to share their writing, participants may explore opportunities with Audible.

Each selected emerging writer is eligible for a $1,500 CAD bursary to support their participation in the program, and there is no cost to participate in the Writers’ Circle.

Statement of Non Discrimination
The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle supports equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical ability or disability.


Program Eligibility

The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle invites emerging writers who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis and meet the following criteria to apply for the six-month program.
You are a great fit for the program if you self-identify as First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis and:
  • Have background knowledge, interest or training in writing. This could include self-study, mentorships, academic study or combinations of these types of training
  • Are pursuing or considering pursuing a career in literary arts
  • Can provide an example of your literary work
    • Examples of your work can include: works of fiction, non-fiction, biographies/autobiographies, memoirs, graphic novels, illustrated books, blogs, poetry, children’s literature, audiobooks and narrative podcasts.
  • Are at least 18 years old as of January 1, 2023
  • Reside in Canada (At this time, residents of Quebec are not eligible for the program due to provincial contest regulations).
Assessment process and guidelines
Applicants will be assessed by a panel of Indigenous literary artists. The panel will consider the following when reviewing each application:
  • The strength of the artistic intention for the sample of work
  • Potential benefits of the Writers’ Circle to the development of the applicant’s practice
We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest. Upon submission, you will receive a notification via email that your application has been received. Following review, all applicants will be contacted regarding the status of their application.

       *At this time, residents of Quebec are not eligible for the program due to provincial contest regulations.


How You Can Apply

Applications for the 2023 program have now closed. Successful applicants will be contacted at the beginning of June 2023.
Questions about the application process can be emailed to audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com.


Frequently Asked Questions

The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle invites emerging writers who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit and / or Métis and meet the following criteria to apply for the six-month program. The program launches in the summer of 2023. Participants will be invited to dedicate approximately 1-2 hours to the program each week. A series of workshops will also be offered to participants during the six-month program.
You are a great fit for the program if you self-identify as First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis and:
  • Have background knowledge, interest or training in writing. This could include self-study, mentorships, academic study or combinations of these types of training
  • Are pursuing or considering pursuing a career in literary arts
  • Can provide an example of your literary work
    • Examples of your work can include: works of fiction, non-fiction, biographies/autobiographies, memoirs, graphic novels, illustrated books, blogs, poetry, children’s literature, audiobooks and narrative podcasts.
  • Are at least 18 years old as of January 1, 2023
  • Reside in Canada*
          *At this time, residents of Quebec are not eligible for the program due to provincial regulations.
Please email audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com to receive an application form. The application deadline is Friday, April 14 at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Savings Time. In your application you'll be asked to share:
  • Your name, contact information and the form(s) of literary art you practice
    • ONE sample of your work (e.g. ONE poem, excerpt, article or story, writing or an audio clip) in Word, MP3 or M4A format. Please note that only unpublished samples of work will be accepted. Please do not share collections of short stories or poems, only ONE poem, story, etc. will be accepted per applicant. Submissions should not exceed 2500 words or 15 minutes in length. The file size limit is 10MB. If your sample of work exceeds the maximum word count it will be trimmed to 2,500 words.
      • Submissions can be works of fiction, non-fiction, biographies / autobiographies, children's literature, poetry, memoirs, graphic novels, illustrated books, blogs, audiobooks and narrative podcasts. If you would like to submit a piece of work that falls outside this list, please contact us with your request at audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com.
  • A personal reflection (500 word maximum) that includes:
    • An indication of why you wish to participate in this program, what you hope to contribute and learn and what impact it could have on your future practice
    • A description of your writing practice
    • A brief overview of your body of work to date, this could include short descriptions of any talks or workshops you’ve given, readings you’ve done, or community engagement experience you have that is related to the literary arts
    • If you could choose any writer, living or deceased, to work with as your mentor, who would you select and why?
  • Your answers to these three voluntary Indigenous self-identification questions. Proof of Indigenous ancestry is not required. The information collected will be confidential. In the context of these voluntary self-identification questions, an Indigenous person in Canada, as recognized in the Constitution Act, 1982, is a person who identifies with First Nations (Status / Non-Status), Inuit or Métis cultural and / or ancestral background.
    • Based on this definition, do you attest and self-identify as an Indigenous person? Please indicate: yes or no.
    • Do you identify with any of these specific identities? Please indicate all that apply to you: First Nations (Status/Non-Status), Inuit, Métis, Alternate identity term (e.g. Kanien’kehá:ka, Anishinaabe, Treaty #3, etc.)
    • What community/nation/group are you affiliated with? Please specify, or indicate unknown or unsure.
      Questions about the application process can be emailed to audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com.
Please fill in an application here https://audibleindigenouswriterscircle.formstack.com/forms/applications_2023. The application deadline is Friday, April 14 at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time. Email audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com for any questions about the application process or program.
The application deadline is Friday, April 14 at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time.
Thank you for your submission! Please contact audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com to inquire about changing your application. Please note changes will not be accepted after the application deadline on Friday, April 14 at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time.
Yes, we welcome all previous applicants to submit an application for this year’s program.
The Writers’ Circle has designed several ways for alumni to stay involved with the program, though program alumni are not eligible to participate in this year’s program. If you’re a previous participant, please contact audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com to inquire about how you can stay involved.
Please ensure that your ONE sample of work (writing or audio clip e.g. ONE poem, excerpt, article or story) is shared in Word, MP3 or M4A format. Please note that only unpublished samples of work will be accepted. Please do not share collections of short stories or poems, only ONE poem, story, etc. will be accepted per applicant.
  • Submissions should not exceed 2,500 words or 15 minutes in length. The file size limit is 10MB. If your sample of work exceeds the maximum word count it will be trimmed to 2,500 words
  • Submissions can be works of fiction, non-fiction, biographies / autobiographies, children's literature, poetry, memoirs, graphic novels, illustrated books, blogs, audiobooks and narrative podcasts.
  • If you would like to submit a piece of work that falls outside this list, please contact us with your request at audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com.
Participants selected for the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle will be notified on or around June 30, 2023.
We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest. Upon submission, you will receive a notification via email that your application has been received. Following review, all applicants will be contacted regarding the status of their application.
Once selected, one of our program managers will reach out to you on or around June 30, 2023 to discuss next steps, provide further details and confirm your availability to participate in the program.
Applicants will be led by a panel of Indigenous literary artists. The panel will consider the following when reviewing each application:
  • The strength of the artistic intention for the sample of work
  • Potential benefits of the Writers’ Circle to the development of the applicant’s practice
We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest. Upon submission, you will receive a notification via email that your application has been received. Following review, all applicants will be contacted regarding the status of their application.
The six-month program will launch in the summer of 2023. Following a kick-off meeting, mentors and participants will connect on monthly one-on-one calls to discuss their goals, current works, progress, challenges, solutions, resources and general learning opportunities. Participants will also join a series of workshops over the course of the program. Ongoing mentor / participant interaction between calls and workshops is supported and an online forum for participants will be made available to help participants connect with peers and share solutions, news and resources.
Participants will work with Indigenous mentors who will coach and guide participants through the creative process, and help them identify and pursue opportunities in line with their goals as writers. Participants will also attend workshops led by some of the industry’s leading creators, publishers, content managers, writers and marketers. Audible will provide additional support to the participants throughout the program, including guidance on how participants can promote their work.
This inaugural year of the Indigenous Writers’ Circle will take place virtually, meaning emerging writers from communities across Canada can apply to participate in the program. Unfortunately, at this time, residents of Quebec are not eligible for the program due to provincial regulations.
If you experience barriers accessing the internet or using virtual meeting platforms, please let us know so we can find a solution with you.
If you have a language preference aside from English, please indicate the language you are most comfortable speaking so that we can make efforts to accommodate your needs accordingly.
Audible is a leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible.ca content includes more than 630,000 audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals. Audible has millions of members around the world who subscribe to one of 10 localized services designed for customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the US. Audible members download nearly 4 billion hours of content annually and listen across a wide range of supported devices.
If you have any questions regarding the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle feel free to email us at audiblewriterscircle@yulupr.com
Review the Terms and Conditions of the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle here. Terms and Conditions.
The program will be offered in English. If you have a language preference aside from English, please indicate the language you are most comfortable speaking so that we can make efforts to accommodate your needs accordingly.
Participants will work with Indigenous mentors who will coach and guide participants through the creative process, and help them identify and pursue opportunities in line with their goals as writers. Participants will also attend workshops led by some of the industry’s leading creators, publishers, content managers, writers and marketers. Audible will provide additional support to the participants throughout the program, including guidance on how participants can promote their work.
There is no cost to participate in the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle.
Yes, each selected emerging writer is eligible for a $1500.00 bursary to support their participation in the program.


2022 Workshop Presenters

The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle team is grateful to live and work on the ancestral lands of the still living, still sovereign Munsee Lunaape (lu-naa–pau) peoples, communities and nation. We recognize the many and diverse Indigenous peoples who call this region home — past, present, and future.