Application Deadline: March 15, 2018
In the summer of 2018, Between The Lines will once again host its combined session, which unites students from Russia, Arabic-speaking countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and the United States. Focusing on Peace and the Writing Experience, the session will bring together young writers from diverse backgrounds to explore distinct histories, languages, and cultures while also approaching world literatures and writing as a dialogue that leads to empathy and a shared understanding of the human condition.
For two exciting weeks, participants learn from one another through creative writing workshops, global literature seminars, and special events featuring international authors, guest speakers, and cultural exchange activities. BTL is a small, structured program run by experienced staff of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, a UNESCO City of Literature and home to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Participants live in university dorms with trained counselors—themselves writers—and are taught by a faculty of prize-winning poets and writers from the U.S. and abroad. By the end of each session, participants will have grown not only as writers but also as citizens of the world, becoming part of a tight-knit international network.
Benefits:
- For accepted international students, all fees, including travel, lodging and meals, are paid.
- As required by the State Department, students will travel with an adult chaperone, hired by the International Writing Program, on the transcontinental flight to and from the United States.
Where will students live?
Eligibility
The current list of eligible countries for the Russian/Arabic session includes: Russia, Sudan, and Near Eastern Affairs countries (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen).
Materials needed for international student application
- International Student Application Form
- Copy of Passport, if available
- 6-8 pages of creative work in English. Essays or other forms of nonfiction will not be accepted. All submitted materials must be unique, untranslated; select samples that best represent your abilities as a writer. Students do NOT need to submit creative work in their native language.
- The 2018 Between the Lines session will include discussion of identity as it relates to creative writing, and the life of a writer. Please include 2-4 pages in personal statement/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?
- A statement of purpose (250 words maximum, in English) describing why creative writing is important in your life, and what you hope to learn at our program in Iowa.
Application:
Because international students accepted into BTL have all expenses paid for by grants from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, international applicants will apply to the participating U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country. You must then go through a process of nomination.
Additional Resources
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5 comments
I am an upcoming African writer and would like to find out on any funding to have a manuscript edited by a British proofreader
Hello,
I will like to apply for the fellowship.How can I send my manuscript for the program as i want to translate and finish my manuscript.Please reply
[…] BTL: la paix et l’expérience d’écriture réunira 40 étudiants internationaux et 10 étudiants basés aux États-Unis, âgés de 15 à 18 ans, pour deux semaines de programmation d’été intensive BTL hébergée en ligne par l’International Writing Program (IWP) et l’Université de l’Iowa (UI). Tous les programmes sont dispensés en anglais et comprennent des ateliers d’écriture créative, des séminaires de littérature mondiale, des lectures littéraires et des questions-réponses avec des auteurs invités, des sessions de conversation pour les jeunes et les mentors, des opportunités sociales d’échange culturel, ainsi que des travaux d’écriture de groupe et individuels en dehors des cours. Le programme virtuel est gratuit pour tous les participants sélectionnés. […]
[…] BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience will bring together 40 international and 10 U.S.-based students, ages 15-18, for two weeks of intensive BTL summer programming hosted online by the International Writing Program (IWP) and the University of Iowa (UI). All programming is conducted in English and includes creative writing workshops, world literature seminars, literary readings and Q&As with visiting authors, youth and mentor conversation sessions, social opportunities for cultural exchange, as well as group and individual writing assignments outside of class. The virtual program is free of cost for all selected participants. […]
[…] BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience will bring together 40 international and 10 U.S.-based students, ages 15-18, for two weeks of intensive BTL summer programming hosted online by the International Writing Program (IWP) and the University of Iowa (UI). All programming is conducted in English and includes creative writing workshops, world literature seminars, literary readings and Q&As with visiting authors, youth and mentor conversation sessions, social opportunities for cultural exchange, as well as group and individual writing assignments outside of class. The virtual program is free of cost for all selected participants. […]