Toronto-based Annick Press has launched a new mentorship program for writers historically excluded from children’s publishing — LGBTQ2SIA+ writers, Black writers, Indigenous writers, writers of colour, and writers living with disabilities.

Mentees will be paired with one of Annick’s in-house editors to develop their ideas. Along with the possibility of publication, successful applicants will receive a $1,000 bursary for the three-month mentorship period.

“The mentorship is a concrete step we can take to offer support to emerging writers and is intentionally structured to be flexible and transparent, so it can work in whatever way is right for the creators who apply,” Katie Hearn, editorial director at Annick, says. “Our hope is that this marks the beginning of many new and exciting relationships that will last well after the mentorships are completed.”

Annick’s goal is to work with at least three mentees per round, with three rounds per year. The deadline for the first round of submissions is February 8, 2021, with the first group of mentees to be selected on March 8, 2021. Interested candidates are asked to fill out an online application form on the Annick Press website.