Lighthouse Writers Workshop is the largest literary arts center in the Rocky Mountain West. Our mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education, support, and community for writers and readers in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. To achieve that mission, we’ve offered free, collaborative, community engagement programs throughout Colorado for more than 20 years, getting people writing and helping them share those stories in surprising, joyful ways.
Lighthouse’s engagement philosophy is perhaps best summed up by the author Richard Rhodes, who says that “writing is a form of making, and making humanizes the world.” We believe that writing is one of the most valuable and vibrant forms of making—because its sole material is language, our most common means to connect with one another.
Writing Communities
Through monthly meetups, annual mini fests, and fellowships, Lighthouse's writing communities aim to support the creativity and connections of various writers in Colorado and beyond. These communities include Writing in Color, Queer Creatives, and Body of Words.
Writing with Cancer
In partnership with UCHealth and CAMP, Writing with Cancer workshops are open to those diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. These workshops focus on generating new creative writing and also include discussions of language, the basics of craft, elements of story, and the value of having a writing practice. Participants are encouraged to connect with others in the group and to write often and freely on any subject they choose, relying on the belief that creative expression is a powerful way to help cope with the myriad emotions of a cancer diagnosis.
Hard Times
In partnership with local libraries and social service organizations, Hard Times Writing Workshops provide a community and a creative outlet for individuals who have recently experienced or are currently experiencing a variety of difficult circumstances including, but not limited to, housing and/or financial insecurity, addiction, homelessness, mental and/or physical health challenges, grief, trauma, and other hard situations.
Community Anthology
The poems, stories, and art created in these workshops are a powerful examination of what community is and how literature helps to create and nurture it. We're now accepting submissions for the sixth volume of All the Lives We Ever Lived. The deadline to submit is August 11, 2025.
Partnerships
Through external partnerships and the generous support of grants and donations, Lighthouse can provide access to programs for communities that have a specific need to connect with the literary arts. Explore some of our current partnerships, including support for healthcare providers, front-line workers, and veterans.
Community Program Survey
Have you recently participated in a Lighthouse Community Program (i.e. Hard Times, Writing with Cancer, etc.)? We want to hear your feedback! Our Community Program survey is anonymous and takes just a couple of minutes to complete.