Genre: Creative Nonfiction

Indiana University Writers’ Conference

The 2025 Indiana University Writers’ Conference was held from June 5 to June 8 at University of Indiana in Bloomington. The conference featured workshops, craft classes, panel discussions, and readings for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. The faculty included poets janan alexandra and Safia Elhillo, fiction writers Stephen Amidon and Marguerite Sheffer, creative nonfiction writer John Cotter, and memoirist Elisa Gabbert. The cost of the conference, including tuition for a workshop and all classes, panels, and readings, was $825.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Indiana University Writers’ Conference, Ballantine Hall 440, 1020 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. Bob Bledsoe, Director.

Bob Bledsoe
Director
Contact City: 
Bloomington
Contact State: 
IN
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
47405
Country: 
US

Dyeing Potatoes

4.17.25

Considering the record-high cost of eggs due to shortages, a recent USA Today article suggests a list of alternatives for the traditional Easter activity of dyeing eggs. A few of the creative contenders include dyeing potatoes or marshmallows, and painting Easter rocks. Think back to a time when you’ve had to alter a long-held tradition because of circumstances outside of your control. Write a personal essay that recounts the emotional trajectory you experienced, beginning with the backstory and memories of your relationship to the tradition. Were you able to preserve the core importance of the tradition? What was lost or gained?

The Studios of Key West

The Studios of Key West offers monthlong residencies to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at the Old Town campus in Key West, Florida. Residents are provided with private lodging and work space. There is no cost to attend the residency, but residents are expected to participate in one community event during their stay. Residents are responsible for their own meals and transportation expenses.

Type: 
RESIDENCY
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
yes
Contact Information: 

Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton Street, Key West, FL 33040. (305) 296-0458. Elena Devers, Deputy Director.

Elena Devers
Deputy Director
Contact City: 
Key West
Contact State: 
FL
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
33040
Country: 
US
Add Image: 
Outdoor patio potluck at the Studios of Key West

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts offers residencies of varying lengths (up to six weeks) year-round to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers on the historic grounds of Mt. San Angelo in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Residents are provided with private lodging and studio space, meals, and access to the facilities of nearby Sweet Briar College. The residency fee is $75 per day; full fellowships and need-based financial aid are available.

Type: 
RESIDENCY
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, 154 San Angelo Drive, Amherst, VA 24521. (434) 946-7236.

Contact City: 
Amherst
Contact State: 
VA
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
24521
Country: 
US

Tulsa Artist Fellowship

The 2026–2028 Tulsa Artist Fellowship, sponsored by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, offers three-year residencies to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators at Archer Studios in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Type: 
RESIDENCY
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
yes
Contact Information: 

Tulsa Artist Fellowship, 109 M.L.K. Jr Boulevard, Tulsa, OK 74103. (539) 302-4855.

Contact City: 
Tulsa
Contact State: 
OK
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
74103
Country: 
US

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference

The 30th annual Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) Postgraduate Writers’ Conference will be held from August 2 to August 8 on the Champlain College campus in Burlington, Vermont. Designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience, the conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft talks, and one-on-one consultations with faculty members. Each workshop is limited to five or six participants. The faculty includes poets Kathleen Graber, Tomás Q.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
no
Event Date: 
August 2, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, 36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. Ellen Lesser, Director.

Ellen Lesser
Director
Contact City: 
Burlington
Contact State: 
VT
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
05401
Country: 
US
Add Image: 
A red building with a green roof on the campus of the Vermont College of Fine Art

Mesa Verde Writers Conference

The Mesa Verde Writers Conference, sponsored by Mancos Creative District, was held on July 10 and July 11 at the Mancos Commons Building in downtown Mancos, Colorado. The conference features workshops for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, and was followed on July 12 by a literary festival with pop-up activities throughout Mancos. Participating authors included poet January Gill O’Neil, poet and fiction writer Lisa C. Taylor, and fiction writers Angie Hodapp and Mark Stevens. The cost of the conference, which includes workshops, readings, and meals, was $425.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Mesa Verde Writers Conference, c/o Mancos Creative District, P.O Box 754, Mancos, CO 81328. Lisa C. Taylor, Codirector.

Lisa C. Taylor
Codirector
Contact City: 
Mancos
Contact State: 
CO
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
81328
Country: 
US

Biographers International Organization Conference

The 2025 Biographers International Organization (BIO) Conference was held on June 5 and June 6 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.; select events were also streamed online. The conference theme was “Potomac Fever.” Programming included panels on craft and current issues in biography, including archival research; presidents and first ladies; sports; Black music; the use and misuse of artificial intelligence; audio platforms; and navigating problems with sourcing, scandals, and elusive subjects.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Biographers International Organization Conference, Biographers International Organization, P.O. Box 33020, Santa Fe, NM 87594. Michael Gately, Executive Director.

Michael Gately
Executive Director
Contact City: 
Washington D.C.
Contact State: 
DC
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
20045
Country: 
US

Headlands Center for the Arts

Headlands Center for the Arts offers four- to ten-week residencies from mid-March to mid-November to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and graphic novelists at its retreat center in the coastal wilderness of the Marin Headlands outside San Francisco. Residents are provided with a private bedroom and work space in a shared house, round-trip airfare, four meals per week, and a $1,000 monthly stipend. Writers not currently enrolled in an academic program are eligible.

Type: 
RESIDENCY
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
September 17, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
September 17, 2025
Free Admission: 
yes
Contact Information: 

Headlands Center for the Arts, 944 Ft. Barry, Sausalito, CA 94965. (415) 472-9478. Holly Blake, Senior Residency Manager.

Holly Blake
Senior Residency Manager
Contact City: 
Sausalito
Contact State: 
CA
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
94965
Country: 
US
Add Image: 
A large white house nestled in trees and mountains.

Grants for Artist Projects

Artist Trust
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 23, 2025
Grants of $1,500 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers who are residents of Washington State. Students enrolled in a degree-granting program are ineligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a writing sample of up to 10 pages of poetry, prose, or hybrid-genre work with a project description, a statement about how funding will contribute to the progress of the applicant’s work, and a brief bio by June 23. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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