Introduction
Earlier in the year, I was accepted as a student for the Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA), Fiction Writing with King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
It’s a two-year program and the target completion date is April, 2027.
I’ve searched for a Master’s-level program since finishing university in 1991. There were times when the program requirements were too strict or fate closed a door on me … and I’m glad it did. I don’t think I would have been happy if I had pursued economics, like originally planned. I definitely would NOT have been a reliable or interested MBA student.
Writing has been with me all my life. There have been many ups and downs and when my brother Allan told me about the King’s program, it didn’t take much to convince me to sign up.
The emphasis will be on the ‘Craft’ and ‘Business’ of writing. The former refers to the structures and styles that great writers use. The latter is designed to help new authors get into the marketplace.
Matriculation
The ceremony called matriculation took place a few days into the residency in Halifax.
The residency is essentially a brief, but intense, meeting of the minds and sharing of plans, ideas and projects. It ended just a few weeks ago and I’m thrilled with the range of writers and concepts that I encountered over the course of ten days. Furthermore, I had wonderful discussions with the mentors and supervisors/administrators of the program and I look forward to next year’s gathering to see how everyone is managing with their books.
My take on matriculation is that it’s an agreement between you and the university. It’s a formal acceptance into the program, but it’s also the signing of what is essentially a contract.
It’s the launch point for the next stage of academic efforts.
King’s College, Class of 2026 & 2027
Here’s a shot of the ENTIRE group of both classes (2026 & 2027) for Fiction and Non-Fiction. The picture also includes the mentors, supervisors and program directors.
My estimate is that there’s about 200 of us!
The future of Canada’s writing community? Absolutely!!
