How did your time in the Creative Writing Program influence your work?
The Creative Writing Program’s requirement to write across genres was an invitation for me to experiment. I will soon have published books in poetry, non-fiction, and fiction. As well as this inspiration to move outside of my comfort zone, I received wise and generous mentorship from my professors at UBC and also was lucky enough to find my people there–writing peers who are still part of my close circle. I treasure the memory of those two years where I was so well-supported to write and to explore.
What’s your latest published/performed work(s)?
My new fiction collection, The Octopus Has Three Hearts, is being published by Douglas & McIntyre in Spring 2021.
Are you connected to any creative writing communities you’d like to mention (UBC alums, film and theatre communities, etc)?
I will be the new co-Associate Director of Vancouver Manuscript Intensive for 2021. http://vancouvermanuscriptintensive.com/
What are your most recent awards?
My poetry collection, Marry & Burn, received a 2016 Pushcart Prize, and was a finalist for a Governor General’s Award. My memoir, The Dog Lover Unit: Lessons in Courage from the World’s K9 Cops, was shortlisted for the 2018 Arthur Ellis award for best non-fiction crime book.
Rachel’s Website: https://rachelsprose.weebly.com/about.html