The Alexandra Writers' Centre Society

The History of a Leading Calgary Centre for Writers

Mar 30, 2009 Samantha Garner

The history of the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society, a longstanding member of Calgary's literary community.

The Alexandra Writers' Centre Society is an organization in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Since 1981 it has offered writing courses based on W.O. Mitchell's free fall method, readings, workshops and events. Their mission is to "enhance the creative writing experience through learning, community and support."

The Founder of the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society

The Alexandra Writers' Centre was founded by Michael Fay, a writer who moved to Calgary in 1978. At the time the Alexandra Writers' Centre was founded, Fay was teaching creative writing for Alberta Culture, the Calgary School Board, Mount Royal College and a "wilderness school in the mountains."

The Inspiration to Create a Writers' Centre

He was inspired by Mitchell's free fall method, the dedication of Ernest Hemingway and the democracy of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. In his preface to The Alexandra Reader - 25th Anniversary Edition, Fay writes that he "believed that anyone should be able to learn, should be able to teach. And, if I was right, a group dedicated to learning and teaching could do great things."

The Alexandra Writers' Centre Opens

Fay rented an office in the historic Alexandra Centre building and began to advertise his new creative writing classes. Community members, along with interested students from his other classes, eagerly attended Fay's courses on creative writing. According to Fay, it only took a few months before "we were offering courses, reading and music nights and our very first publication." In 1981, the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society was officially incorporated.

The Community Significance of the Alexandra Writers' Centre

Within its first five years of existence, the Alexandra Writers' Centre published The Alexandra Reader. In her introduction to The Alexandra Reader - 25th Anniversary Edition, founding member Shirley Black recalls the original Alexandra Reader, of which two copies were donated to the Centre. The original Alexandra Reader was a textbook for children used in the Alexandra School, built in 1902.

In 1963, the school was closed and re-opened in 1975 as the Alexandra Centre, to provide services and programs to the local community. A few years later, Michael Fay founded The Alexandra Writers' Centre in the building, where it continues to operate today.

The Alexandra Writer's Centre Society is a fixture in the Calgary writing community and has provided guidance and enrichment to aspiring writers for over 25 years.

References:

Alexandra Writers' Centre Society (ed)., The Alexndra Reader - 25th Anniversary Edition, Calgary, 2006.

A Brief History. The Alexandra Writers' Centre Society. 1 December, 2008. Accessed 29 March, 2009.

A Brief History of the Alexandra Centre. The Alexandra Centre. Accessed 29 March, 2009.

The copyright of the article The Alexandra Writers' Centre Society in Literary Culture is owned by Samantha Garner. Permission to republish The Alexandra Writers' Centre Society in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

W.O. Mitchell taught his free fall method in Banff