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Hurston/Wright Writers' Week Requirements Workshops FAQ Sunday, July 25 – Saturday, July 31, 2010 Howard University, Washington, DC HurstoHurston/Wright Writers’ Week is the nation’s only multi-genre summer writer's workshop for writers of African descent. Since the first workshop in the summer of 1996, over 850 writers have attended the weeklong program of classes and presentations by publishers, agents, and writers. The Week brings together Black writers from around the United States, as well as Black writers from the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe, who create a nurturing, safe space to discuss their work, its meaning, and unique aesthetics. Hurston/Wright Writers’ week is distinguished by the diversity of the writers it attracts: published, unpublished, college students, seniors, retirees, professionals - all chosen to participate in the workshop on the strength of their writing. Perhaps the highest accolade given to the workshop is the number of participants who have returned to their communities, and inspired by Hurston/Wright Writers’ Week, have formed community workshops and support groups for Black writers.  Return to top Workshop Schedule: Sunday, July 25 check-in and orientation Monday, July 26 classes meet from 12:00pm – 3:00pm Tuesday, July 27 – Friday, July 30 classes meet from 9:00am – 12:00pm Saturday, July 31 check-out One-on-one sessions will be conducted by workshop leaders throughout the week. Panel discussions and readings by workshop leaders and participants will also be held throughout the week. Once accepted to the workshop participants will receive a detailed schedule. Return to top Admission The selection process for the Hurston/Wright Writers’ Week Workshop is competitive. In order to provide the highest quality instruction possible, class sizes are kept small. Therefore, we cannot accommodate ALL qualified writers.   HOW TO APPLY Complete application Email your manuscript to info@hurstonwright.org You may apply to only one workshop Submissions must be received by June 7, 2010. Submissions received after June 7 will be considered only if space is still available Letters of notification will be emailed to you by June 11. Manuscript Requirements: All manuscripts must be double spaced in 12 pt. font.   Workshop Requirements Building the Novel (Fiction) 20 - 30 pages of a novel manuscript Advanced Novel (Fiction) 50 – 60 pages of a completed or near completed novel manuscript Nonfiction 20 – 30 pages of a memoir, biography, or factual story Poetry 5 - 10 poems, not to exceed 20 pages Facility Howard University will be the host site for Hurston/Wright Writers’ Week Workshop. The university is located in Northwest, Washington, D.C. There are numerous monuments and museums, free concerts, and international dining, as well as many important African American cultural institutions close. Return to top Workshop Fees Base Tuition $575 Room & Board (double occupancy rooms) $250 Residence Meal Plan (includes breakfast, lunch & dinner) $160 Total Cost $985     Base Tuition $575 Commuters Meal Plan (includes lunch & dinner) $125 Total Cost $700     Advanced Tuition $650 Room & Board (double occupancy rooms) $250 Residence Meal Plan (includes breakfast, lunch & dinner) $160 Total Cost $1,060     Advanced Tuition $650 Commuters Meal Plan (includes lunch & dinner) $125 Total Cost $775       Payment Schedule A $100 non-refundable deposit must be paid by June 23, 2010 The full amount of fees due must be paid by July 9, 2010 Cancellation Policy: Deposit payments are non-refundable. If an applicant is unable to attend the workshop and notifies Hurston/Wright at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the workshop he or she can either receive a prorated refund or a course credit for the full amount to be used towards a future workshop. Return to top Published Workshop Alumni Michele Andrea Bowen: Second Sunday and Church Folk, Walk Worthy Press Carol Parrott Blue: The Dawn at My Back, University of Texas Press Karen E. Dabney: The Magic Pencil, Dabs and Company Anita Doreen Diggs: The Other Side of the Game, Dafina Books; A Mighty Love and A Meeting in the Ladies Room, Kensington Books Patricia Elam: Breathing Room, Simon and Schuster Dwight Fryer: E. Landon Hobgood: Songs of the Zodiac: In Doo-Wop America, Harlem Writers Guild E. Landon Hobgood: Songs of the Zodiac: In Doo-Wop America, Harlem Writers Guild A. Van Jordan: Quantum Lyrics, W.W. Norton & Company; Macnolia, W.W. Norton & Company; Rise, Tia Church Press/The Guild Crystal E. Wilkinson: Water Street and Blackberry, Blackberry, Toby Press Return to top Workshops Building the Novel (Fiction) A workshop designed for writers who have completed 75-100 pages of a novel, and who are familiar with the technical aspects of fiction writing. The course will be conducted as a workshop with in-depth critique and analysis of a selected portion of the manuscript, as well as discussion of the broader issues and challenges inherent in writing book-length fiction. Workshop Leader Tayari Jones is the author of Leaving Atlanta, published in 2003, which received many awards and accolades including the Hurston/Wright Award for Debut Fiction. Her second novel, The Untelling, published in 2005, won the Lillian C. Smith Award for New Voices. The Silver Girl, her highly anticipated third novel, is forthcoming from Algonquin Books. She was named as the 2008 Collins Fellow by the United States Artists Foundation. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University. Return to top Advanced Novel This workshop is for advanced writers who have completed a novel manuscript or are near completion. The workshop will provide a close reading and discussion of up to 50 pages from the novel. In addition to technical aspects of the novel, issues such as how to end a novel, insuring thematic consistency, and turning personal experience into fiction will be addressed. Workshop Leader Marita Golden is author of ten books, her best-selling books include the memoirs Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons and Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex as well as the novels Long Distance Life, The Edge of Heaven and most recently After, which won the Fiction Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She has taught writing at George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University and most recently served as Writer in Residence at the University of the District of Columbia. Return to top Nonfiction This workshop focuses on how to write a memoir, biography and factual story with an emphasis on research, oral history, and the use of vivid description that captures the urgency of the event(s) and the timelessness of its meaning. Workshop Leader Michael H. Cottman an award-winning journalist and author, is a Senior Correspondent for BlackAmericaWeb.com, a division of REACH Media/Radio One, the nation's largest black-owned media company. Cottman, the author of three books, has spent the past 27 years writing about politics, social trends, race, and America's expanding multi-cultural society. He also presently writes a political blog for Politics In Color. Return to top Poetry This workshop will focus on poetic structure as cinematic movement and will approach the poem as a visual art form. Through writing exercises and class discussions, on the use and power of imagery and metaphor students will learn how to intensify the emotional impact of poetry. This is a workshop where passion and empathy mingles and where one can tryout a new poem on trained and thoughtful ears. Workshop Leader A. Van Jordan is the author of Rise, published in 2001, which won the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award. His second book, M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A, published in 2004, was awarded an Anisfield-Wolf Award. Jordan was also awarded a Whiting Writers’ Award in 2004 and a Pushcart Prize in 2006, 30th Edition. Quantum Lyrics was published July 2007. He is a recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, 2007, and a United States Artist Williams Fellowship, 2008. He is a Professor in the Dept. of English at the University of Michigan. Return to top FAQ What does the workshop cost? Base Tuition $575 Advanced Tuition $625 Where is the workshop going to be held? Howard University, Washington, DC How many people are in each course? Up to 12 students How many pages of my work am I supposed to submit? Requirements for manuscripts are controlled by the genre in which you are applying.  See Manuscript Requirements. When is the submission deadline? June 7, 2010 What is the registration fee? $15, paid via PayPal When is full tuition due? The full amount of fees due must be paid by July 9, 2010 When will I be notified of the status of my application? Letters of notification will be emailed to you by June 11.