Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo named inaugural Hideout writer-in-residence

Credit: Marlon Kuhnreich.

Montreal-based novelist Christopher DiRaddo has been named the inaugural writer-in-residence at The Hideout in Prince Edward Island. Now in its fifth year, the Hideout Residency program welcomes writers, artists, and self-care practitioners from across Canada and internationally to PEI’s south shore each spring and fall. A new writer-in-residence component of the program is being launched to mark the fifth year anniversary of the Hideout residencies, with the goal of inviting prominent Canadian writers to visit the Island each year to engage in new work.

Christopher DiRaddo is the author of the novels The Family Way (2021), shortlisted for the F.G Bressani Literary Prize, and The Geography of Pluto (2014). His essays and short stories have appeared in First Person Queer: Who We Are (So Far), Here & Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing and The Globe and Mail. He has also written for several publications, including Elle Canada, Xtra magazine and enRoute magazine, for which he won a National Magazine Award. In 2014, he created the Violet Hour Reading Series & Book Club, which has provided a platform for more than 200 LGBTQ writers in Canada. He lives in Montreal.

“We’re so thrilled to welcome a writer of Christopher’s calibre as our first official Hideout writer-in-residence,” says Trevor Corkum, co-owner of The Hideout. “In addition to being a talented and highly-respected novelist, Christopher has been a vital force in Canadian literature and a powerful champion for sharing LGBTQ stories.”

DiRaddo will spend a week at The Hideout next fall, working on a new novel and connecting with local writers.

“I’m thrilled to be The Hideout’s first writer-in-residence,” says DiRaddo. “I have long wanted to come to PEI and experience the creative haven that Trevor and Joshua have created for artists. To have dedicated and uninterrupted time to work on my next novel in such a serene and stimulating environment is a huge gift and one I do not take for granted. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the community of artists living on the Island. My writing is heavily inspired by place, and I’m excited about the ways that The Hideout, and PEI, will make its way into my future work.”

About The Hideout

Created by writer Trevor Corkum and psychotherapist Joshua Lewis, The Hideout offers retreat and vacation space to writers, creative folk, and visitors from across Canada and around the world. The Hideout is located on the scenic South Shore of PEI, a few minutes outside the village of Victoria-by-the-Sea. The Hideout Residency program was founded in 2020.