Genre: Creative Nonfiction

Chesapeake Writers’ Conference

The twelfth annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference was held from June 22 to June 28 on the St. Mary’s College campus in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. The conference featured lectures, craft talks, readings, panel discussions, and daily workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The faculty included poet Heather Green, fiction writer Jerry Gabriel, and creative nonfiction writers Eva Freeman and Angela Pelster. The cost of tuition was $850; the cost of tuition with college course credit was $1,450.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
December 6, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
December 6, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
December 6, 2025
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Chesapeake Writers’ Conference, St. Mary’s College, Montgomery Hall, 47645 College Drive, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Crystal Oliver, Conference Director.

Crystal Oliver
Conference Director
Contact City: 
St. Mary’s City
Contact State: 
MD
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
20686
Country: 
US
Add Image: 
An aerial shot displaying a small peninsula extending into a large body of water.

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?

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference

The 30th annual Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) Postgraduate Writers’ Conference was held from August 2 to August 8, 2025, on the Champlain College campus in Burlington, Vermont. Designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience, the conference featured workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft talks, and one-on-one consultations with faculty members. Each workshop was limited to five or six participants. The faculty included poets Kathleen Graber, Tomás Q.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
December 6, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
December 6, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
December 6, 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

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: 
December 6, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
December 6, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
December 6, 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: 
December 6, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
December 6, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
December 6, 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: 
December 6, 2025
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
December 6, 2025
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
December 6, 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

Prize for Literature

Towson University
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 15, 2025
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by a current resident of Maryland who has lived in the state for at least three years. Books published within the past three years or scheduled for publication in 2025 are eligible. Publishers, institutions, or individuals may submit three copies of a book or manuscript by June 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Chapbook Prize

Tusculum Review
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
June 15, 2025
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Tusculum Review is given annually for a collection of poems, a short story, or an essay in alternating years. The winner’s work is also published as a limited-edition stand-alone chapbook with original art. This year’s prize will be awarded in fiction. Jaime Cortez will judge. Submit a manuscript of 2,000 to 7,000 words with a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Tusculum Review, by June 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Pages

Subscribe to Creative Nonfiction