Help Afrooz Attend the Banff Writing Residency!

Hi everyone,

I’m Afrooz Zaad, a writer and a queer refugee from Iran, living in Montreal since 2019. I am thrilled to share that I’ve been accepted into the prestigious Banff Writing Residency (!) for the mountain writers’ intensive program. You can read more about my short story project here.

This program is an incredible opportunity for me, especially as it was an international call for submissions and I was one of the nine writers chosen. Attending this residency is a crucial step in my journey to become a professional writer, and I cannot stress enough how much it would mean to me to be able to participate.

While I’ve been fortunate to receive a scholarship from Banff to cover most of the program's tuition, I still need to raise $4,598 to cover my remaining expenses (acceptance letter and costs below), including the remaining fees for the residency program, my airplane tickets, mandatory travel insurance, and other necessities for the residency.

Banff residency acceptance confirmation fee: $ 264

Remaining tuition and fees for Banff residency: $ 1,619

Banff residency mandatory meal plan: $ 1,540

Flight from Montreal to Calgary : $ 620 to $ 750

Calgary to Banff shuttle bus: $ 165 (2-way)

Travel insurance: $ 60

Laptop (I currently do not have a personal laptop): approximately $ 400 secondhand

Total: $ 4598

I need to pay the remaining fees of the program by September 9th, and the residency is from October 22 to November 13.

I am applying for funding from the Canada Arts Council. Unfortunately, even if I were fortunate enough to receive a grant, it wouldn’t arrive in time: I received news of my acceptance in August for the residency in October, while the CCA takes around six months to process applications.

This is where I need your help. I’m reaching out to my friends, my community (and kind strangers) to please support me in achieving this goal and making this incredible experience a reality.

Any contribution, big or small, will bring me closer to this life-changing opportunity. Or if you cannot donate, sharing this with other people would mean the world to me. Thank you so much for considering helping me on this journey.

With so much gratitude,

Afrooz Zaad