Every year, the Creative Nonfiction Collective (CNFC) Society holds a conference to further deepen writers’ understanding of, and feeling for, the art, craft, and ethics of creative nonfiction, to continue to develop awareness of our organization among Canada’s cultural communities, to support our members, attract new ones, and to promote creative nonfiction as a whole.
Past conferences have taken place in Victoria, Vancouver, Banff, Calgary, and Toronto.
2021 CNFC Conference Update (October 2020)
When we cancelled our annual conference last March, we were optimistic that the world would go back to “normal” in a few months — that we would be able to host an in-person conference in 2021. Only seven months have passed, yet it feels like years. While we have learned more about COVID-19, there’s much we don’t understand about the virus and it continues to spread.
Our planned venue for May 2021 was the University of Toronto. However, they are not booking any 2021 events. In Toronto, and Ontario, a “second wave” of the virus is building. At CNFC, we are mindful of potential health risks to our presenters and participants if we attempt to gather a large group of people. Therefore, with an abundance of caution and concern for safety, we have decided to convert our May 2021 conference to a virtual format.
Currently, we are working through timing and logistics of programming. In addition to hosting a virtual conference in May 2021, we plan to present some parts of our original 2020 program as monthly webinars. This series will be available exclusively to CNFC members. The first session in November 2020 will be Ian Brown’s Finding the Story workshop. Stay tuned for more details!
Be safe and healthy as we continue to navigate the pandemic and this surreal time in the world.
Best regards,
Margaret Lynch
CNFC President
COVID-19 Update regarding 2020 Conference (March 2020)
Given the declaration of a global pandemic, and considering urgent advice from medical experts and our host venue, the University of Toronto, to help slow the community spread of COVID-19, The Creative Non-Fiction Collective has made the difficult decision to cancel our Writing True Conference in Toronto. We plan to reschedule, at the same venue, Emmanuel College, U of T, for May 7-9, 2021, circumstances permitting.
We truly regret having to cancel our conference for this year. For those who have already registered, you will be issued a refund via Wild Apricot. This will be done as soon as possible, but please be patient as it may take several business days for the refund to appear in your bank account.
Thank-you so much for your commitment to CNFC and for your understanding. Please look after yourself. Stay well.
Regards,
Cathy Cooper
CNFC President
