PLEASE CONSIDER MONTHLY SUPPORT FOR THE AL PURDY A-FRAME WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

It’s been a long and challenging three years in the shadow of COVID, but thanks to the continued support of many we’ve kept the lights on and the doors open to the writers-in-residence program at the Al Purdy A-frame.

A residency at the legendary A-frame provides Canadian writers with an opportunity to get away from the daily grind, and to create in a place steeped in literary history. Since the program started in 2014, more than 40 writers have touted how important the experience has been.

A-frame alumni have won multiple Governor General’s Awards, a Giller, and have been shortlisted for dozens more prizes, including the Griffin and Souster poetry prizes, and the Danuta Gleed and CBC literary awards. Most important, they are writing and publishing work that has been energized by a residency at the A-frame.

“I’m deeply grateful to have had the time both to dig into my project and to be in my own thoughts. To be surrounded by all things ‘writerly’ was certainly an important part of the process…It is difficult to put into words what happens at the Residency… Having space and time for my brain and hands to work in their own way, not structured by the demands of family and work and regular life was a gift that I’ll never forget.”
– Sophie Edwards

The Al Purdy A-frame Association is a small, volunteer-run registered charity, and every dime we receive helps us operate. The hand-built A-frame is now almost 70 years old. It needs regular maintenance, and the writers in the program need our financial support to make their residencies possible.

“I would most clearly describe the residency as being tied to the healing medicine of the land. The time spent at Ameliasburgh was a gateway for myself as an artist and as a person. When we left after our time there, I can say that we carried with us the spirit of the place, a touch of Al Purdy’s land-heavy medicine, and a sense of belonging that often eludes Indigenous peoples in this country.”
– Daniel Lockhart

This year we hosted our first Open House since 2019, with Eurithe Purdy in attendance. Virtual events, like our online writers’ workshops, have also enabled us to connect with people across Canada. However, COVID continues to cast a shadow over our ability to host in-person fundraisers.

For these reasons, we need your financial support! We are asking you to consider making a monthly commitment to our organization – even as little as $5 or $10 monthly makes a big difference! Some perks to monthly giving include:

• Signing up in less than a minute; no other work required!
• A single tax receipt is issued to you at the end of each year.
• Monthly giving provides predictable cash flow for the Association, which helps us to plan ahead.

To donate, go to our donation page here.

Select “monthly giving” if that works for you. Of course, we are also appreciative of one-time donations. Thank you to those who have already signed up, and to all for your continued interest in the A-frame project.

Please share this information with your networks.

“I am a monthly donor to the Al and Eurithe Purdy residency program because art needs a home.”
– Yann Martel