LIGHTHOUSE WRITERS WORKSHOP ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR LIT FEST 2021
16th annual festival offers two weeks of advanced workshops with visiting authors; fellowships available for emerging writers and veterans
DENVER, February 1, 2021—This year marks the 16th anniversary of Lit Fest, Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s ten-day celebration of literature that features advanced workshops, craft seminars, business panels, salons and readings, agent consultations, and more from June 4-13, 2021. (Note: Lit Fest 2020 was virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic; we're hoping for a festival in 2021 that includes some in-person components, but only if we can do so safely.)
The full schedule of events will be announced at a later date. For now, writers can apply to advanced weeklong and weekend workshops with the following visiting authors: Sarah Ruhl, Sheila Heti, Mat Johnson, Rebecca Makkai, Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi, Bryan Washington, Steve Almond, Jaquira Díaz, Leslie Jamison, Hanif Abdurraqib, T Kira Madden, Emily Rapp Black, Carolyn Forché, Layli Long Soldier, and Gregory Pardlo. These advanced weeklong and weekend courses are available by application only, and are limited to 10 students each (12 for poetry). Priority application deadline is March 13, 2021.
Writers who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford an advanced workshop are encouraged to apply for the Lit Fest Fellowships for Emerging Writers. The fellowships cover the full cost of an advanced weeklong or weekend workshop for four applicants in four categories: dramatic writing, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. A panel of faculty, published writers, and judges (Halley Feiffer, playwriting; Amitava Kumar, nonfiction; Victor LaValle, fiction; Sheryl Luna, poetry) will review each application, looking for talent, promise, and originality. Final decisions will also consider the applicant’s financial need.
Combat veterans are encouraged to apply for the Veterans Writing Award, which covers the full cost of tuition to an advanced workshop for 1-3 veterans. A panel comprised of published writers, writing faculty, and judge Steven Dunn will review each application. Applications for both the Fellowships for Emerging Writers and Veterans Writing Award are due by March 13, 2021, as part of the application for the advanced workshops. For more information, visit lighthousewriters.org/litfest.
About Lighthouse Writers Workshop
Lighthouse Writers Workshop is Colorado’s nonprofit literary arts center. Our mission is to ensure literature maintains its proper prominence in culture and individuals achieve their fullest potential as artists and human beings. For over 20 years, we’ve offered award-winning writing workshops, author events, and community engagement programs to people of all ages and backgrounds in Denver and beyond. For more information, visit lighthousewriters.org.
