Former Student Writers-in-Residence
Current Student Writer-in-Residence >
2024-25 | Jules Lee
Meet Jules Lee: Western’s 2024-25 student writer-in-residence
Jules Lee is a writer from rural Ontario with a passion for short fiction and prose poetry. She holds an Honours Specialization in English Language and Literature along with a minor in Environmental Geography. Her work explores the unreliability of memory, transience, and the interconnections of everyday life. She previously served as the creative director of ICONOCLAST Collective. Some of her works have appeared in Symposium, SNAPS, and Huron’s Grubstreet. When she’s not reading or writing, Jules enjoys making specialty coffees, discovering new music, and taking photos with her 35mm camera.
2023-24 | Gray Brogden
Meet Gray Brogden: Western’s 2023-24 student writer-in-residence
Gray Brogden completed an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing and English Language and Literature, along with the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities (SASAH) program. She is a passionate writer, poet, and performer. As former president of Penned by Western, Gray has been a pillar of the creative writing community at Western and in the greater London area. She has hosted many open mics, taught countless writing workshops, and competed in various poetry slams. Her work has been published in a variety of publications, including Symposium, Semicolon, Spotlight, Iconoclast, and SNAPS, and she was the 2023 recipient of both the Lillian Kroll Prize in Creative Writing and the Marguerite R. Dow Canadian Heritage Writing Award. When she’s not writing, Gray can be found obsessively reading, rewatching old action lms, or working on jigsaw puzzles.
2022-23 | Matthew Dawkins
Meet Matthew Dawkins: Western’s 2022-23 student writer-in-residence
Matthew Dawkins is a Jamaican award-winning author and poet whose works on Wattpad have amassed nearly half a million reads. His work focuses on subjects from his personal experience such as adolescence, love, loss, culture, and mental health. Matthew was a student in the Department of English and Writing Studies and The School for Advanced Studies in Arts and Humanities. When he's not writing, Matthew can often be found re-watching the Harry Potter series on Netflix for the millionth time and procrastinating on his assignments. Until We Break is his debut novel. Matthew’s work has been published in Symposium and Semi-colon.
2021-22 | Ashley Li
Meet Ashley Li: Western's 2021-22 student writer-in-residence
Ashley Li completed an Honours Specialization in Neuroscience with a Minor in Psychology. She is the Co-Founder of Spoken Word Society, and has seen her writing published in Living Hyphen, Fresh Ink and Symposium. Her work is primarily in prose poetry and short fiction, and she is drawn to narratives that capture a glimpse into everyday lives. Beyond her creative writing , Ashley has been actively involved in peer mentorship and student leadership, and volunteer work with the Canadian Mental Health Association. She is passionate about exploring the role creative writing can play in healing and mental wellness. As a former Student Writer-in-Residence, Ashley championed an inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to creative writing, informed by her background in science.
2020-21 | Courtney Ward-Zbeetnoff
Meet Courtney Ward-Zbeetnoff: Western's 2020-21 student writer-in-residence
Courtney completed an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing and English Language and Literature, along with the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities (SASAH) program. As former Editor-in-Chief of the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council publications Semicolon, Symposium and Premier, Courtney is an enthusiastic and accomplished writer whose advocacy extends beyond the arts. During her time with Active Minds Western’s outreach team, she developed and facilitated mental health education workshops at a local high school. Courtney’s love of writing intersects with her passion for mental health advocacy. She is drawn to creative nonfiction as a means of self-expression and interpersonal connection and found a home within Western’s literary community, where she was continually inspired by the stories others have the courage to share.
2019-20 | Gabrielle Drolet
Meet Gabrielle Drolet: Western's 2019-20 student writer-in-residence
Gabrielle completed her studies in English and Writing Studies at Western University. As a former Student Writer-in-Residence, she was keen to explore how her diverse experiences could contribute to a culture of creativity across campus. While nature poetry is her primary focus, Gabrielle has also written opinion and feature articles for national newspapers and online outlets. During her time at The Western Gazette, she served as opinions editor and later as culture editor. She was the recipient of the 2019 Marguerite R. Dow Canadian Heritage Award for Little Malta, a short work of creative nonfiction, and received an honourable mention for her poetry in the Lillian Kroll Prize in Creative Writing.
2018-19 | Camille Intson
Meet Camille Intson: Western's 2018-19 student writer-in-residence
Camille is a multidisciplinary artist working in theatre, performance art, poetry, short fiction, multimedia, and folk music across Southern Ontario. Her award-winning work as a playwright has been workshopped and produced at both amateur and professional theatres and festivals across Canada, and her poetry and short fiction have been published both on and off university campuses. Camille was a Resident Artist at the TAP Centre for Creativity, where she created and curated a digital performance art exhibition, and is a co-founding director of ArtLaunch Theatre Company. She has a growing academic and practical interest in post-humanism and performance and hopes to pursue graduate studies that integrate her research and artistic practice.
2017-18 | Sydney Brooman
Meet Sydney Brooman: Western’s 2017-18 student writer-in-residence
Sydney completed an Honours Specialization in English Language and Literature and Creative Writing. Her poetry has been published in the Fall and Spring editions of Symposium, the Fall edition of Semicolon, the Glitch edition of The Iconoclast Collective, and the 2016 edition of Occasus, for which she was awarded first place. She served as co-president of Western’s Undergraduate English Society and as an editorial assistant for The Canadian Poetry Project. She was committed to fostering open dialogue between writers on campus and in the London community, as well as supporting those looking to develop their creative writing practice.
2016-17 | Victoria Wiebe
Meet Victoria Wiebe: Western’s 2016-17 student writer-in-residence
Victoria completed an Honours Specialization in Psychology with a Minor in Creative Writing. She is the author of three novels, and her poetry has been published in Occasus, Teen Ink, and Creative Communications. During her time at Western, she served as president of the Creative Writing Club and editor-in-chief of the Nom de Plume literary journal for the 2014–15 year. Victoria was committed to increasing awareness of the creative resources available on campus and aimed to organize workshops tailored to students from all faculties, fostering creativity and supporting the development of student writing. She believes it is important to showcase the creative work of Western students in order to appreciate the creativity that is continually being nurtured on campus.
2015-16 | Helen Ngo
Meet Helen Ngo: Western’s 2015-16 student writer-in-residence
Helen Ngo completed her studies in Mathematics and a Certificate in Writing at Western University. Blending math and the written word, Helen explores ways of expressing humanity through both quantitative thinking and storytelling. For her, math and writing are complementary art forms—each searching for truth and beauty, taking different paths toward the same destination. Her work is inspired by the everyday and often emerges from conversations, fleeting moments, and observations gathered in places like coffee shops. It explores themes ranging from abstract algebra to urban exploration and late-night drives. Helen received the Judge’s Choice Award for the Alfred Poynt Poetry Competition, and her prose and poetry have been published in Premier, Nom de Plume, Symposium, and The Semi-Colon. During her time as Student Writer-in-Residence, she was committed to bringing together students from a wide range of disciplines, encouraging creative expression, and showcasing student talent across campus and the broader London community.
2014-15 | Steven Slowka
Meet Steven Slowka: Western’s 2014-15 student writer-in-residence
Steven Slowka completed his studies in Anthropology at Western University. His writing often explores culture, with a number of his poems featuring animals, including Archaeopteryx, published in PRISM International. While named after an extinct evolutionary bird, the poem itself turns inward, reflecting on the quiet after-moments of intimacy and the fleeting nature of experience. As a former Student Writer-in-Residence, Steven sought to foster and grow creative writing communities both at Western and within the broader London area.
2013-14 | Scott Beckett
Meet Scott Beckett: Western's 2013-14 student writer-in-residence
Scott Beckett, a fourth-year History and Creative Writing student, was named Western’s 2013–14 Student Writer-in-Residence. In this role, he aimed to support aspiring undergraduate writers by fostering a strong creative community on campus and connecting students with both on- and off-campus resources. Beckett brought experience as a reader and social media editor for The Rusty Toque, with his own work published in multiple literary journals. He hoped to expand publishing opportunities for students by introducing a new campus publication. Through accessible programming, office hours, and one-on-one meetings, Beckett was committed to helping students develop their writing and navigate the path to publication.
2012-13 | Alex Carillo-Hayley
Meet Alex Carillo-Hayley: Western’s first student writer-in-residence
As the university’s first Student Writer-in-Residence—believed to be the first of its kind in North America—Alex set out to unite writers within the Western community. From the outset, her enthusiasm for the role was evident. A fourth-year English student at the time and already deeply involved in both campus and creative communities, she was especially interested in bridging the gaps between writers across the university—individuals she felt often lacked an outlet for their creative work. It was this gap she hoped to address during her term.
