The City of Richmond, in partnership with the Richmond Public Library, welcomes Taslim Jaffer as the 2025 Writer-in-Residence. From April 5 to June 14, Taslim will lead a series of free events and workshops designed for writers at different stages.
During her residency, Taslim will explore the theme “Belonging in Canadian Literature”, integrating her personal experiences with identity, culture and home to foster community engagement, excitement and education in the literary arts. In-person talks, workshops, drop-in sessions and an innovative inter-generational story project will create an inclusive and vibrant space for writers of all backgrounds, encouraging them to see themselves in Canadian literature.
Entering its 14th year, this program will officially kick off with an opening event on Saturday, April 5 from 1:00 to 2:00pm at the Richmond Cultural Centre Annex, 7660 Minoru Gate. This free, drop-in public event is an opportunity to meet Taslim and learn about the upcoming workshops, including:
- Stories of Identity and Home (16+ years)
- Memoir Writing: As Far as I Can See (55+ years)
- Writing Circle: Writing for Self-Discovery (13-18 years)
- Bilingual Poems (16+ years)
- This Is Us: Literary Journalism (16+ years)
- The Writer’s Life: From Process to Publishing (16+ years)
- Celebration of Learning (16+ years)
Details about the program and the workshops being offered are available at richmond.ca/WriterInResidence.
Taslim is a Surrey-based writer, editor and instructor who brings a wealth of experience and passion for creative nonfiction. With a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from the University of King’s College in Halifax, she has published works in publications including Maclean’s, WestCoast Families and Peace Arch News. She is the winner of the 2022 Creative Nonfiction Collective/Humber Literary Review contest and a recipient of the 2021 Silver Canadian Online Publishing Award. She is also the co-editor of the recent anthology Back Where I Came From: On Culture, Identity and Home, published in November 2024. Her upcoming projects include an essay collection that traces her family’s journey across five generations and three continents.
Taslim’s connection to Richmond is deeply personal having attended elementary, high school and college and starting her family here. Her goal as Writer-in-Residence is to give back to the community that shaped her by creating opportunities for dialogue, creativity and literary expression.