How to Nominate a Writer

The INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM (IWP) does not offer funding for its residents. We may refer eligible candidates to contacts at U.S. Embassy or Consular offices abroad, or to one of the cultural agencies with whom we hold exchange agreements (including U.S.-based foundations and the arts councils of other countries). Please visit Fall Residency Questions for further information.

Who is a qualified writer?

  • The candidate should be primarily a writer of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, screenplays, or graphic novels. Literary translators, journalists, and biographers have also participated, but those candidates must also display a comparable track record in one of the creative genres (listed earlier).
  • The candidate should have at least one published book or volume, or a sizable number of works in significant publications (anthologies, journals, literary magazines) over the last two years.
  • The candidate should also display forms of national or local recognition for their literary work.
  • The working language of the program is English, and visa issuance requires that candidates are proficient speakers of English.
  • The candidate must also be comfortable with cross-cultural dynamics and interested in close interaction with artists from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
  • The candidate should not be a resident of, nor currently residing in, the United States.
  • The candidate must provide:
    • 10 to 15 pages of work in both the original language and as translated into English that gives a good sense of the writer’s strengths and style.
    • A literature-based CV or resume.

 

For further information please email iwp-fall-residency@uiowa.edu.

Upcoming Events

Happening Now

  • Jennifer Feeley’s translation of Tongueless, Lau Yee-wa’s thriller sketching Hong Kong’s slide toward linguistic totalitarianism, is forthcoming from Feminist Press.

  • In addition to becoming the Berlin LitFest’s first curator-in-residence, Helon Habila has also just received Kaduna Books and Art Festival’s KabaFest Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his "exceptional writing and significant contributions to the development of literature globally."

  • Congratulations to Enah Johnscott, whose film Half Heaven won three awards at the Cameroon International Film Festival—best film, best director, and best cinematographer.

  • We regret the passing, on April 11, 2024, of the distinguished Romanian author and critic Dan Cristea, who served as the editor in chief of the Luceafărul de Dimineață cultural monthly. In addition to being an alum of the 1985 Fall Residency, Cristea received his PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Iowa.

  • Our congratulations to 1986 Fall Residency writer Kwame Dawes, who has been named the new poet laureate of Jamaica.

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