Leslie Palleson, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Leslie Palleson, MFA. Leslie‘s thesis is an interconnected collection of stories and novella entitled The Apron and other stories. Leslie Palleson came to the program with the goal of perfecting years (okay – decades) of developing the craft of writing and has been delighted to work […]
Ayda Niknami, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Ayda Niknami, MFA. Ayda’s thesis is a stage play entitled Azar o Azadi. Ayda Niknami (she/they) is a Qashqai-Irani queer femme residing in so-called “Vancouver”. She was the Poetry Editor for PRISM international (2024-2026), a finalist for The Bridge Prize (2024), shortlisted for The Malahat Review’s […]
Laurence Neal, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Laurence Neal, MFA. Laurence‘s thesis is a novel entitled What the Body Deserves. Laurence is a trans/nonbinary writer, historian, and artist with dual master’s degrees in History and Creative Writing. Their essays in Dissent and Guernica interrogate how physical space is gendered and raced in community […]
Elio Zarrillo, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Elio Zarrillo, MFA. Elio‘s thesis is a play entitled If We Be Friends. Elio Zarrillo is a prairie-born queer originally from Treaty 1 territory, now based on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, having recently completed an MFA in […]
Tayf Almoghazy, MFA 2026
Tayf Almoghazy’s thesis is a collection of nonfiction lyrical essays
Tristan Hay Lee, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Tristan Hay Lee, MFA. Tristan’s thesis is a young adult contemporary rom-com novel entitled Drama Kids. Tristan is a Toronto-born writer of Korean, Japanese, and European descent. Her work has been published in Room, Ricepaper and The Selkie, as well as shortlisted for the Bridge Prize. […]
Camille Pavlenko, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Camille Pavlenko, MFA. Camille’s thesis is a novel entitled Fata Morgana. Camille Pavlenko is a theatre and literary artist who is passionate about contributing to the arts ecology of the Canadian prairies, where she works as a writer, actor, and playwright. She has been the playwright-in-residence […]
Denise Da Costa, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Denise Da Costa, MFA. Denise’s thesis is a novel entitled Misericordia. Denise Da Costa is a Niagara-based writer whose work explores love, class, and mental health. She holds a B.A. in psychology from York University, and has worked in the technology industry for many years. Her […]
Lauren Grant, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Lauren Grant, MFA. Lauren’s thesis is a novel entitled Her Madness. Lauren Grant is a writer and award-winning filmmaker. Her company, Clique Pictures, focuses on telling stories of women pushing against societal expectations. As a writer and director, her short films are Things We Feel But […]
Nicole Fitzgerald, MFA 2026
The School of Creative Writing is pleased to congratulate Nicole Fitzgerald, MFA. Nicole’s thesis is a memoir entitled A Cloud Collector. Nicole Fitzgerald’s writing grew up in the mountains of Whistler, BC where she worked as a journalist in print, television and documentary film for two decades. Her love of nature combined with motherhood and […]