Quebec Writers' Federation

What Quebec Writers' Federation does

The Quebec Writers' Federation (QWF) is a Canadian non-profit literary organization founded in 1998 through the merger of QSPELL and FEWQ, serving English-language writers and the broader English-language literary community across Quebec. The federation's core products and programs include peer-led and expert workshops, mentorship and residency opportunities, the annual QWF Literary Awards across eight categories, two literary journals (carte blanche and the newer Quist), community outreach via the Writers in the Community and StoryScaping programs, and diversity-focused initiatives such as Fresh Pages. QWF also curates a literary database indexing more than 2,000 English-language books by over 1,100 Quebec writers, and operates international residency partnerships including the Max Margles Writing Residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland and the Writer-in-Residence program at St. Peter's College, Oxford.

QWF serves a membership of more than 1,000 individual writers, supplemented by institutional partners, universities, and the broader Quebec reading public. Its business model is grant- and donation-driven rather than commercial: operating capacity is funded primarily through multi-year public grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Government of Canada, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal, with supplemental support from private foundations (including the Maxwell Cummings Family Foundation and the Zoltan and Ilona Koblenz Family Foundation), individual donations, membership dues, workshop fees, and fundraising events. The organization runs a lean core staff of approximately 7 people, with additional capacity drawn from member volunteers and partner institutions.

There are no technology platforms, AI systems, or commercial product lines in QWF's portfolio; all programming is editorial, educational, or community-based. The federation's strategic posture is one of institutional consolidation — expanding the breadth of programs, regional representation within Quebec, and international residency access — rather than scaling headcount or revenue aggressively.

Name

Quebec Writers' Federation

Legal name

QWF Fédération des écrivaines et écrivains du Québec / QWF Québec Writers' Federation

Website

https://qwf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Quebec Writers' Federation is a non-profit literary organization serving English-language writers across Quebec through workshops, mentorship, literary awards, two journals, and community programs, supported primarily by public grants and private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Professional Organizations (81392), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Genre Writing Workshops (Sci‑Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror) (EDAMAMAG), Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF), Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK), Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing) (MPAJAJAF), Writing Critique Groups & Peer Workshops (EDAMAMAJ)

Keywords

• Literary arts organization
• Writer development programs
• Writing workshops
• Literary awards
• Community literary services

Headquarters

HQ city

Westmount

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees provide revenue and form the basis of the organization's community. The fee is established by the Board of Directors.
2. Workshop registration fees: QWF runs two regular seasons of writing workshops per year with registration fees. Members receive discounts on workshop fees.
3. Government and private grants: Operational funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Government of Canada, and Conseil des arts de Montréal. Additional program-specific funding from foundations and sponsors.
4. Literary dinners and teas donations: Literary dinners aim to raise $500 per dinner and teas $300 to help fund QWF activities including mentorship programs and community outreach.
5. Hire-a-Writer Directory fees: Selected writers listed in the directory pay a small annual fee to cover QWF administration costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quebec Writers' Federation is a non-profit literary organization that develops, supports, and promotes English-language writers in Quebec. Its core offerings include writing workshops in multiple genres, four-month mentorship programs pairing emerging writers with professionals, community-based outreach programs for youth, annual literary awards across eight categories, online literary journals, and an online directory connecting writers with clients seeking writing services.

Product overview

Quebec Writers' Federation (QWF) is a non-profit literary organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services for English-language writers in Quebec. The core offerings include writing workshops in multiple genres, mentorship programs for emerging and youth writers, the Writers in the Community outreach program, and professional development services including the Hire-a-Writer Directory. QWF operates two online literary journals (carte blanche and Quist), administers eight annual literary awards totaling significant prize money, and runs regular events including the Words and Music literary cabaret, Writers Out Loud series, Literary Dinners and Teas, and the Read Quebec Book Fair. Additional programs include the StoryScaping initiative for underserved communities, the Fresh Pages Diversity Initiative supporting underrepresented writers, and travel funds for author readings. The organization was formed in 1998 from the merger of QSPELL and FEWQ and currently serves over 1,000 members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• carte blanche: QWF's online literary journal founded in 2004 by members of a QWF workshop. Published three times a year, featuring fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, translations, comics, photography, and audio submissions.
• Quist

Products and services

• Writing Workshops Writing workshops in various genres including fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, children's and young adult literature, and career-related topics. Run in Spring (March-May) and Fall (October-December) at QWF's office. Members receive discounts on registration fees.
• Mentorship Program Four-month mentorship program pairing emerging writers with professional mentors to help them transition to the next career stage. Includes regular mentorship, LTAC/QWF Literary Translation mentorships, and Youth Mentorship.
• Writers in the Community Program pairing small groups of young people with professional writers or literary artists for 10-week workshops to teach language tools and boost self-confidence through writing. Delivered in schools and community organizations throughout Quebec, employs up to 15 writers annually across 12+ organizations.
• StoryScaping Free writing workshops for groups of English-speaking youth and seniors throughout Quebec. Six-hour workshops delivered in-person or online via Zoom, focusing on personal storytelling and creative expression.
• The Fresh Pages Diversity Initiative Diversity program launched in 2019 creating opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and writers of colour. Includes mentorship, writing workshop scholarships, guest curatorship at Words & Music Show, and editorial mentorship at carte blanche.
• Writers in CEGEPs Program sending established English-language Quebec writers into CEGEP classrooms to promote language-arts skills and appreciation of literature, financed by the Ministry of Culture and Communications.
• Hire-a-Writer Directory Online directory of professional QWF members available for hire, connecting people with writers for corporate reports, memoirs, editing, translation, and other writing services. Selected writers pay a small annual fee to be listed.
• Quebec Writers Out Loud Travel Fund Travel fund reimbursing eligible travel expenses up to $500 for solo readings ($360 for joint readings) for QWF professional members doing public English-language readings across Canada.
• QWF Literary Awards Annual literary awards including the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction, Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction, A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry, Concordia University First Book Prize, Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature, Cole Foundation Prize for Translation, QWF Prize for Playwriting, and the Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize.
• carte blanche QWF's online literary journal published three times yearly. Accepts fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, translations, comics, photography, and audio submissions from Quebec authors.
• Quist Online literary journal for literature and art by Quebecers aged 14-21. Founded in 2024 with first issue in December 2024.
• Shut Up & Write! Free silent writing sessions using the Pomodoro technique (25-minute writing bursts with 5-minute breaks). Available in-person at QWF office and virtually for QWF members.
• Words and Music Show Montreal's longest-running literary cabaret featuring spoken word, poetry, literature, performance, and music. Takes place roughly every three months since 2000.
• Writers Out Loud Series showcasing English-language Quebec writers through author interviews and panel discussions. Available for hosting by libraries, bookstores, and reading series.
• Read Quebec Book Fair Annual book fair in November/December promoting English-language writers and publishers in Quebec. Features readings, author signings, activities, and publisher interactions.
• Lunch and Learn Free virtual learning sessions held monthly over Zoom, featuring community organizations and literary professionals discussing their work. Includes quarterly orientations for new members.
• Literary Dinners and Teas Fundraising program inviting Quebec authors to private homes for dinners (up to 3 hours) or teas (up to 1.5 hours), with hosts raising $500 per dinner or $300 per tea to fund QWF activities including mentorship programs and community outreach.
• Max Margles Writing Residency Three-week residency program at Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland providing time and space for Quebec writers to reflect, research, and write. Covered flights, accommodation, meals, $2,300 stipend, and incidentals. Operated from 2022-2025.
• CBC/QWF Digital Writing Residency Digital writing residency program placing writers as featured columnists on CBC's website. Last took place in 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• Writers in the Community program employs up to 15 writers annually in over a dozen community organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, primary and minor.

• Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998QWF partners with AELAQ for the annual Read Quebec Book Fair (formerly Pop-Up Holiday Book Fair) to promote English-language writers and publishers.
• Canada Council for the ArtsprimaryOthersPrimary operational funder providing financial support for QWF activities and programs including workshops, mentorship, and awards.
• Conseil des arts et des lettres du QuébecprimaryOthersProvincial government arts funder supporting QWF operations and programs.
• Government of CanadaprimaryOthersFederal government funder supporting QWF activities including the StoryScaping program.
• Concordia UniversitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Concordia University First Book Prize. QWF is proud to have its First Book Prize sponsored by Concordia, which offers the only BA and MA English-language Creative Writing programs in Quebec.
• CBC MontrealcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for literary events and previously the CBC/QWF Digital Writing Residency program (Indelible Ink).
• Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Montreal's literary community, collaborating on events and initiatives.
• English-Language Arts Network (ELAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQWF is a member of ELAN, Quebec's English-language arts network. QWF co-founded the National Juries and Awards Working Group in 2021 through ELAN.
• L'Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQWF collaborates with UNEQ on the Writers in Schools program and QWF administers the Writers in CEGEPs program with UNEQ.
• Atwater Library and Computer CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQWF office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library. Community partner for literary events.
• Cole FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Le Prix de traduction de la Fondation Cole / The Cole Foundation Prize for Translation.
• Paragraphe BookstoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. Montreal's premier independent English-language bookstore and vital hub for local literary culture.
• Tyrone Guthrie Centre (Ireland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Max Margles Writing Residency, providing Quebec-based writers with 3-week all-inclusive residencies at the prestigious Annaghmakerrig center in County Monaghan, Ireland.
• Batshaw Youth and Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of the Writers in the Community program through the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Writers' Federation of New Brunswick: Provincial writers' federation supporting English-language writers in New Brunswick with workshops, mentorship, and community programming. Closely analogous to QWF as a small-province English-language literary federation with a similar member-driven service model.
• Saskatchewan Writers' Guild: Provincial writers' organization offering workshops, mentorship, awards, and publishing services in Saskatchewan. Most structurally comparable to QWF — same model of regional writers' federation serving a minority-language community within a predominantly francophone-adjacent market.
• Writers' Guild of Alberta: Provincial writers' organization offering workshops, contests, mentorship, and literary community services in Alberta. Mirrors QWF's regional federation structure with analogous programming (workshops, awards, community outreach) in a different province.

Direct peers

• PEN Canada: Canadian chapter of PEN International, advocating for writers and freedom of expression with English-language programming and writer support services. Comparable mission of supporting writers' professional development and literary community, though with a stronger advocacy dimension.
• Writers' Trust of Canada: National charitable organization offering prizes, mentorship programs, and professional development for Canadian writers. Directly comparable awards-driven model (multiple annual prizes) and English-language focus similar to QWF's eight-category awards portfolio.
• Canadian Authors Association: National organization for Canadian writers with membership, awards, networking, and professional development programming. Closely analogous structure (membership fees, regional branches, awards program) and English-language focus overlapping with QWF's offerings.
• League of Canadian Poets: National organization for English-language poets in Canada with membership model, awards programs, mentorship, and professional development. Comparable in offering literary community infrastructure, workshops, and prizes to QWF, though focused on poetry specifically.
• Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ): QWF's direct partner organization representing English-language book publishers in Quebec. Highly comparable as a Quebec-based English-language literary ecosystem organization; partners with QWF on the Read Quebec Book Fair and shares the same minority-language constituency.
• The Writers' Union of Canada: National Canadian writers' organization representing professional authors, primarily English-language. Comparable mandate of advocating for and supporting writers through advocacy, contracts support, and member services — analogous to QWF's English-language writer support mission but at national scale.

Broad incumbents

• English-Language Arts Network (ELAN): Quebec-wide umbrella network for English-language arts organizations that QWF co-founded and sits on the board of. Comparable as a Quebec English-language arts infrastructure body, though operating as a broader network rather than a direct service provider to writers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/officialqwf
• Facebookfacebook.com/quebecwritersfederation
• Instagraminstagram.com/OfficialQWF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quebec Writers' Federation