General Membership
“Writers helping writers,” a collaborative philosophy, is the foundation of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS). It shapes our outlook as an arts service organization, and it informs a complete cycle of development programming and a wide array of professional services that support the craft of writing, the business of being a writer, and the promotion of Nova Scotia writers as integral to the province’s cultural life and creative economy.
WFNS has pursued its mission for nearly 50 years through the shared commitment and passion of its Board of Directors, its staff, and its approximately 700 members, who join at all career stages and who engage in a diverse range of genres, forms, and writing practices.
Truly, WFNS could not exist without its members, whose dues and donations contribute to essential funding, whose skills and experiences make programming possible, and whose concerns and aspirations drive our mandate.
General Membership in WFNS is open to anyone with an interest in writing, regardless of writing experience or place of residence. Most of our programming is virtual or has virtual elements, allowing the active participation of writers across Nova Scotia, across Canada, and beyond.
- Access to support services; to writing, professional development, and community resources; and to event bookings for in-person & virtual spaces (for launches, readings, and other literary events)
- Eligibility for health insurance through the Writers’ Coalition
- Eligibility for our Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program (permanent NS residents only)
- Eligibility for our Manuscript Review and Coffee Chats programs
- Eligibility to post listings in our Literary Services Directory and Nova Scotia Writing Groups resources
- Reduced registration fees for creative writing & professional development workshops taking place in your same year as your membership
- Access to support services; to writing, professional development, and community resources; and to event bookings for in-person & virtual spaces (for launches, readings, and other literary events)
- Reduced program fees for our annual Emerging Writers Prizes and Jampolis Cottage Residency Program‘s sponsored residencies and retreats (permanent NS residents only)
- Reduced program fees for our Ellemeno Visual Literature Prize, Message on a Bottle, and Nova Writes Competition (current NS residents only)
- Reduced program fees for our Jampolis Cottage Residency Program‘s self-directed residencies
- Subscription to (and access to the archive of) Subtext, our weekly email newsletter, which highlights WFNS programming (events, opportunities, and announcements), literary community news, and submission opportunities for contests, publication, and literary employment
- Voting privileges at the WFNS Annual General Meeting, which takes place each June
- Reduced program fees for our annual Emerging Writers Prizes and Jampolis Cottage Residency Program‘s sponsored residencies and retreats (permanent NS residents only)
You may join WFNS or renew your WFNS General Membership at any time, but General Membership is annual and fixed to the calendar year.
Each General Membership is up to 13 months in duration, activating on December 1 or the date you pay dues (whichever is later) and expiring on the next December 31. In other words, each December represents an overlap of the current membership year and the upcoming membership year.
Beginning each September, we offer discounted dues for the current membership year to account for the shorter duration (i.e., four months or fewer). When offered, these discounted dues will be listed below.
Q: How can I ensure that my General Membership remains current?
Renewals for the following year are available starting in September. Automated renewal reminders are sent by email on December 1 each year, and we encourage renewals through Subtext, our members-only newsletter, around the same time.
In 2023, we introduced the option to automate your dues payments through our Annual Membership Subscription. Find details of this subscription below. If you’ve already subscribed, you can check or change the status of your subscription in the “Annual Membership Subscription” tab of your “Account” page or by emailing communications@writers.ns.ca.
Q: I’m renewing my General Membership for the first time since the launch of the new WFNS website in September, 2020. What should I do?
If you do hold Writers’ Council status, please email communications@writers.ns.ca to receive your login info (ensuring you have access to your existing Writers’ Council profile) and then login before adding dues to cart.
If you do not hold Writers’ Council status, please add dues to cart as if becoming a General Member for the first time. We’ll ensure our records reflect your previous years as a General Member.
Q: Should I pay the same dues rate each year?
While annual dues are required to keep your General Membership active, you should pay the dues rate that best suits your current financial situation. Regardless of the dues rate paid—even if dues are waived—all General Members receive the same benefits.
Whenever you need, please take advantage of our reduced dues rate for full-time students, the underwaged, and those on fixed incomes. We do not ask for any explanation or documentation to support your selection of the reduced dues rate.
If your financial situation has improved since your last dues payment, please consider switching to the regular dues rate and/or donating to sponsor a General Membership for a writer of more limited financial means. Such donations are significant, and they allow WFNS to continue inviting new writers into our literary community and investing in their literary development.
Reduced dues, switching dues rates, and the option to donate while renewing are available online, by phone, or by mail. If you’re subscribed for automatic renewal, the option to switch your dues rate is available in the “Annual Membership Subscription” tab of your “Account” page.
Please select one option
2025 Nova Scotia Student Membership
• Application required• Valid for 13 months
(Dec 2024 through Dec 2025)
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For first-time members who are 30 years of age or younger and are full- or part-time students at Nova Scotian post-secondary institutions
2025 Membership
• One-time payment• Valid for 13 months
(Dec 2024 through Dec 2025)
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Reduced dues for full-time students, the underwaged, and those on fixed incomes: $30
Annual Membership Subscription
• Recurring payments• Valid from date of subscription
to the Dec following cancellation
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Reduced dues for full-time students, the underwaged, and those on fixed incomes: $30
If renewing online, please ensure you are logged in before adding dues to cart.
To pay dues by phone, call us between 10am and 3pm on weekdays at 902 423 8116 with the following details prepared: credit card information, mailing address, email address, and phone number.
To pay dues by mail, send a cheque (payable to “Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia”) along with your mailing address, email address, and phone number to WFNS, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax, NS, B3H 4P7.
If reduced dues rate still presents a barrier, please contact communications@writers.ns.ca before joining or renewing. Funds are available to assist writers with membership dues.
