(Fredericton) Jen Selk has been selected as the inaugural Anne Mitton Memorial Writer in Residence at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre for 2026-2027. A former journalist, Selk has been widely published in Canadian print media while her creative work has appeared or is forthcoming in Room, Qwerty, The Antigonish Review, Western Front, and more. Selk has published several successful novels and her poetry collection book, Landmarks & Beacons, is currently a top-three finalist for a Whistler Independent Book Award and she is a rare double-finalist for the 2026 Montreal International Poetry Prize.
During her residency, Selk will work to complete her solo-show, tentatively titled, The Potato Diaries, Live, an interdisciplinary writing and performance project that combines creative nonfiction, playwriting, comedy, spoken word, live storytelling, and digital media to explore and educate in an accessible, amusing way on the personal and professional complexities of transforming lived-experiences into community-building public performance art.
"I've always been nosy and in love with oversharing,” said Selk. “A mutual-yap-exchange makes me feel of-the-world in a way that is otherwise hard to access. We all carry transformative true stories, so I also believe that sharing is a unique path to community in these trying, disconnected times. I'm honoured and excited to have this support and the opportunity to experiment with all this in mind."
In addition to developing her own work, Selk will lead a six-week creative writing program and a weekend creative writing workshop at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre during the winter/spring 2027. Details on both programs will be announced later in November.
The Anne Mitton Memorial Writer in Residence program is funded by the Mitton family and private donors in collaboration with the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. The program honours the life and legacy of Fredericton educator, author, playwright, mentor, and storyteller Anne Mitton (1940–2026). Throughout her distinguished career, Anne inspired generations of learners and writers through her work as a teacher, literacy specialist, writing instructor, and published author. This residency reflects her lifelong commitment to nurturing creativity, encouraging emerging voices, and building community through the written word.
Learn more about Jen’s practice: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | THREADS