Causes: Arts & Culture, Arts Services, Humanities

Mission: To foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public

Programs: Poets & writers magazine, published six times a year, delivers to its readers profiles of noted authors and publishing professionals, practical how-to articles, and the most comprehensive list of grants and awards available in print. Columns such as agents & editors and the savvy self publisher offer insight into the business of publishing, while regular features such as why we write and the aha! Moment consider aspects of craft. Special issues cover topics such as literary agents, independent publishing, and writing contests. New editorial projects include ampersand, a podcast offering listeners an overview of each issue of the magazine and a glimpse into the editorial process; and poets & writers live, a series of live events thematically linked to the magazine, presented in various cities around the u. S.

the readings & workshops program provides fees to writers who participate in public literary events and provides technical assistance to event organizers. The program supports events taking place in new york and california, as well as eight cities outside these states: atlanta, chicago, detroit, houston, new orleans, seattle, tucson, and washington, d. C. The program awards grants to about 800 writers each year and supports roughly 2,000 events reaching a total audience of nearly 100,000. These events take place in community based settings ranging from museums and libraries to prisons, senior centers, and hospitals. In addition, we host meetings for groups that present literary events and for writers who lead writing workshops with underserved populations, so that they can share best practices.

poets & writers website, pw. Org, is the creative writers go-to resource. It offers a suite of carefully vetted databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, mfa programs, review outlets, and more. Our literary events calendar lists thousands of events taking place all over the country; and in 2015 we launched a mobile app, poets & writers local, which makes this information readily accessible via smartphone. Free online tools include the directory of poets and writers, a reading tour manager, and a submission tracker. The website features select articles from poets & writers magazine and special online-only features. The site also includes daily news, a digest of book-related news, and the time is now, which offers weekly writing prompts.