The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle is a six-month online and in person mentorship and workshop program for emerging First Nations, Inuit and Métis writers in Canada looking to elevate their stories. The Summer 2026 program will commence on June 1st; apply to participate today!

As a leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, Audible invests in the creative economy worldwide, fostering communities of performers, writers, sound engineers, and other creatives. We help equip emerging storytellers around the world with the skills to bring their work to life. As part of this mission, we work to elevate the voices of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, to enhance equity and support reconciliation.

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

Emerging writers in the program are paired with Indigenous mentors who coach and guide participants through the creative process. They will help them identify and pursue opportunities aligning with their goals as writers.

The 2026 mentor team includes: Tanya Talaga, Richard Van Camp, Warren Cariou, Reneltta Arluk, Jordan Abel, Katłıà Lafferty and Josh Whitehead.

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 participants throughout the program, including guidance on how participants can promote their work. At the end of the program, participants may explore opportunities with Audible depending on the stage each writer is at in their creative work and how they choose to share their writing.

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

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.

The 2026 program year will begin on June 1st and end on December 21st.

Applications for the 2026 program are now being accepted! Please fill out an application here: https://audibleindigenouswriterscircle.formstack.com/forms/audible_indigenous_writers_circle_2026_application_form_copy.

The application deadline is Monday, April 13, at 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Saving Time. Email [email protected] for any questions about the application process or program.

In your application, you’ll be asked to share the following:
- Your name, contact information and the form(s) of literary art you practice
- A personal reflection (maximum 500 words), indicating:
- 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, work you've published (online, audio, print, etc.), 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?
- Please provide a single sample of your work in written or audio format. The accepted file types are Word, Google Doc, MP3 or M4A. If you submit a poem under 500 words, you may include a secondary and third piece of poetry, so long as you do not exceed the 2,500-word limit.

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 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 [email protected].
Your answers to 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 [email protected].