How To Apply & Deadlines

Please note that the information on this page is out of date, as this page is no longer in use; to learn about current Between the Lines sessions and programming, please see this page.

 

The new deadline for U.S.-based applicants for Between the Lines 2022 (both sessions) is April 10. 
Applications for non-U.S. (international) students are closed. 
 
 Before applying, please carefully read:

deadlines

The NEW BTL application deadline for U.S.  students is April 10, 11:59PM (23:59) CST (GMT-6). The deadline for non-U.S. (international) students is closed. 

For international (non-U.S.) students: The deadline to be considered for nomination, through the U.S. Embassy in your home country, may be sooner than March 18Check with your U.S. embassy as soon as possible.

In 2022, the International Writing Program will host BTL: Identity and Belonging (currently planned to be in-person, open to U.S. students only) from June 18-July 2, and BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience (online, open to students from the U.S., Armenia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine) from July 15-30.  

​​​​​ For more information about the two sessions and the BTL virtual experience, please visit the ​​​​​​Between the Lines Sessions Page. 
 

a note on formatting

The following formatting standards are required for all submitted documents. If not followed, applications may not be considered.

Format:         Typed (Microsoft Word or PDF file)
Font type:     Times New Roman
Font size:      12 point
Spacing:        Double (poems may be single-spaced with multiple poems per page)
Margins:        1 inch on all sides
Header:         Include your name, name of piece (Creative Work, Prompt #1, Prompt #2, Statement of Purpose)
Footer:           Include page numbers
Citations:      If using other people’s words/content, always give them credit

U.S. students: See application information immediately below. 

International (non-U.S.) students: See application information below - skip to the spot here.



u.s. Student Application for both 
BTL SESSIONS
 


U.S. students apply directly to the International Writing Program (application link below). 

While students can only participate in one session, if you are a U.S. student willing to attend either BTL session there will be space in the application where you can indicate the order of your session preference.  

Access the U.S. Student Application Form here >

 

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR U.S. STUDENT APPLICATION:

You will need to prepare the materials outlined below. These include your creative work, your responses to the two written prompts, and a statement of purpose. These documents will be uploaded as attachments in Microsoft Word or as PDF files through the application form. 

NOTE: ONCE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION, IF IT DISPLAYS A MESSAGE THAT STATES, “SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED TO WORKFLOW,” THEN WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR APPLICATION.
 

Attachments for ­­the 2022 U.S. Student Application:

  • Original creative prose (fiction and/or nonfiction) and/or poetry in English (6-8 pages). Book reports and other academic writing will not be accepted. You may submit one piece or several pieces of creative work to make the 6-8 page requirement. Poems may be single-spaced with multiple poems per page.

  • Prompt #1: The 2022 Between the Lines session will include discussion of identity as it relates to creative writing and the life of a writer. Please include your personal response to the following: 

    In our daily lives, we navigate many different roles—student, sibling, daughter, son, peer. We negotiate family, friends, religious groups, as well as class, gender, race, country, and so many other groups, adjusting the way we speak or behave to fit the demands of each encounter. As we move through the day, we work through how and why we occupy each particular role. What do you consider to be the strongest, most central aspects of your identity? What does it mean to you to be a member of (or seen as a member of) a particular group? In what way does your identity influence you as a creative writer and reader? (3 pages maximum) 

  • Prompt #2: An essential component of Between the Lines is encouraging participants to be vulnerable and explore the unfamiliar and unknown in a safe and supportive setting. At many points, whether in workshop or interpersonally, participants may feel out of their comfort zone. Please respond to the following: 

    Describe a time in your past when you had to engage with a new situation, person, or idea that initially felt uncomfortable or strange. How did you proceed? If you had the chance, what would you do the same, and what would you do differently? (400 words maximum) 

  • Write a statement of purpose describing why creative writing is important in your life, and what you hope to learn through our BTL program. (250 words maximum) 



International (non-u.s.) Students

BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience is paid for by funds from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, therefore international applicants will apply to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country. If you are interested in Between the Lines, you should first read our International (Non-U.S.) FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page to ensure that you are eligible. The deadline for application at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your home country may be sooner than the deadline listed above. Check with your U.S. embassy as soon as possible.

U.S. Embassies/Consulates in the following countries are invited to nominate young writers for the 2022 BTL virtual program: Armenia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.

Individuals from countries outside of these regions are unfortunately not eligible in 2022. We hope to expand the list of eligible countries in the near future.  If your home country is eligible, please contact the U.S. Embassy in your home country for more information on their application process; you will need to prepare the materials listed below when you apply. You must then go through a process of nomination through the U.S. Embassy in your home country. If your U.S. embassy agrees to nominate you, they will apply for you, after you've provided them with the information and materials that the application requests.  

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR INTERNATIONAL (NON-U.S.) STUDENT APPLICATION 

The U.S. Embassy in your home country must first agree to nominate you, and then will submit an application for you, including the attachments. You will need to provide them with the materials outlined below. These include your original creative writing in English, your responses to the two written prompts, and a statement of purpose. Your prepared documents will be uploaded as attachments in Microsoft Word or as PDF files through the application form. 

Attachments for the 2022 International (Non-U.S.) Student Application: 

  • Original creative prose (fiction and/or nonfiction) and/or poetry in English (6-8 pages). Book reports and other academic writing will not be accepted. You may submit one piece or several pieces of creative work to make the 6-8 page requirement. Poems may be single-spaced with multiple poems per page.

  • Prompt #1: The 2022 Between the Lines session will include discussion of identity as it relates to creative writing and the life of a writer. Please include your personal response to the following: 

    In our daily lives, we navigate many different roles—student, sibling, daughter, son, peer. We negotiate family, friends, religious groups, as well as class, gender, race, country, and so many other groups, adjusting the way we speak or behave to fit the demands of each encounter. As we move through the day, we work through how and why we occupy each particular role. What do you consider to be the strongest, most central aspects of your identity? What does it mean to you to be a member of (or seen as a member of) a particular group? In what way does your identity influence you as a creative writer and reader? (3 pages maximum) 

  • Prompt #2: An essential component of Between the Lines is encouraging participants to be vulnerable and explore the unfamiliar and unknown in a safe and supportive setting. At many points, whether in workshop or interpersonally, participants may feel out of their comfort zone. Please respond to the following: 

    Describe a time in your past when you had to engage with a new situation, person, or idea that initially felt uncomfortable or strange. How did you proceed? If you had the chance, what would you do the same, and what would you do differently? (400 words maximum) 

  • Write a statement of purpose describing why creative writing is important in your life, and what you hope to learn through our BTL program. (250 words maximum) 

REMEMBER: The *NEW * BETWEEN the Lines (BTL) Application deadline for u.s.-based students is
April 10 by 11:59PM (23:59) CST (GMT-6). Applications for non-u.s. students are now closed. 

Happening Now

  • Congratulations to our colleagues Jennifer Croft and Aron Aji, who are among those serving as judges for the National Book Awards this year, in their case in the category of translated literature.

  • Ranjit Hoskote’s speech at the 2024 Goa Literary Festival addresses the current situation in Gaza.

  • In NY Times, Bina Shah worries about the state of Pakistani—and American—democracy.

  • “I went to [Ayodhya] to think about what it means to be an Indian and a Hindu... ”  A new essay by critic and novelist Chandrahas Choudhury.

  • In the January 2024 iteration of the French/English non-fiction site Frictions, T J Benson writes about “Riding Afrobeats Across the World.” Also new, a next installment in the bilingual series featuring work by students from Paris VIII’s Creative Writing program and the University of Iowa’s NFW program.

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