 Founded in 1984 after the forced closure of David Thompson University Centre in Nelson, British Columbia KSW relocated to Vancouver to offer inexpensive courses (in writing, editing, and publishing), to sponsor colloquia and critical talks on writing, visual art, and politics, and to host a reading series with local, Canadian, and international writers, and to continue publishing Writing magazine.The first KSW brochure, published before the school had its own address, offered a variety of courses and workshops in various locations around Vancouver, as well as listing readings and talks upcoming.It included the following statement of intent