For award-winning author Lisa Ko, writing has always been rooted in everyday life, everyday people and the belief that stories – and the writing process – belong to everyone.
“Anyone can be a writer,” said Ko.
Hailing from New York, NY, Ko joins Western University this year as its new writer-in-residence, bringing her experiences and expertise from multiple critically acclaimed books to students and other writers on campus.
Ko’s impressive body of work includes novels Memory Piece – named one of Barack Obama’s favourite books of summer 2024 – and 2017 PEN/Bellwether Prize winner and National Book Award finalist The Leavers. She describes herself as a “long journey writer,” primarily writing long-form fiction.
Beyond writing knowledge, Ko also brings extensive higher-education experience. She holds a master of fine arts in creative writing and a master of library and information science. She has also served as a creative writing educator at schools such as the City University of New York and the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
“I really love working with emerging writers; I’m particularly interested in getting to know the students and other writers on campus to talk about writing in all its forms,” Ko said.
Writing in community
Ko’s approach is intentionally non-prescriptive. Rather than imposing rules, she focuses on creative process – how each writer’s life stage, experiences and curiosities shape the way a story emerges. She is also interested in the ways community and collaboration can inform stories.
“We don’t write in a vacuum; we write about other people and experiences,” she said.
A unique background in archival research and information science also informs her work, making the writer-in-residence program a perfect fit.
Western has employed a writer-in-residence since 1972, one of the longest-running programs of its kind across Canada. The program runs in collaboration with the London Public Library to support the writer and provide both students and the London, Ont. community with the opportunity to engage.
“An integral part of my own writing practice is about being in creative community with others, so I’m happy to be able to do that in London and at Western,” said Ko.
It’s central to Ko’s own practice. Her work is deeply inspired by her relationships and home. She said stories “are a way in which we see and make sense of the world.”
“People in my family and community were some of my earliest lessons on storytelling and craft. It wasn’t because they were writing in the traditional sense; they were just great at telling stories. Those lessons were just as important as the ones I learned in the classroom.” – Lisa Ko, Western’s 2026-27 writer-in-residence
Creating opportunity for other writers
For Ko, the writer‑in‑residence role is about widening the circle. She hopes to challenge the idea that only certain people – or achievements – make someone a “real” writer.
“We receive a lot of messaging about whose stories are valuable,” she said. “But the material of stories is in our everyday lives and everyday people.”
Ko will be arranging public workshops throughout the year at Western and London’s Central Library branch. Appointments with the writer-in-residence are available to members of the Western University and London communities on Tuesdays throughout the fall and winter terms.
She encourages emerging writers to work with her, find other writers to work alongside, read widely and “pay close attention to the world around them.”
Attend an inaugural reading featuring Lisa Ko and student writer-in-residence Cadence McGillicuddy on Oct. 28 to hear their work and listen as they discuss the craft.
Learn more about how Western is navigating new realities.
