Latest Writing News

US Department of State halts International Writing Program funding

Thursday, March 6, 2025
The U.S. Department of State notified the University of Iowa International Writing program on Feb. 26 that its grants through the department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs were being terminated, stating that the awards “no longer effectuate agency priorities,” nor align “with agency priorities and national interest.”

A conversation with Kaveh Akbar

Thursday, February 27, 2025
The New York Times bestselling author discusses the critical acclaim of his novel, Martyr!, and his passion for teaching at the University of Iowa

Dealing with writer's block? These tips can help

Monday, February 3, 2025
Writer’s block can be a common hurdle during any writing project. If you find yourself stuck, consider these tips to help you overcome your block and make a great project.

CSSI Welcomes the Participants of the 2025 Grant Writing Residency Program

Tuesday, January 14, 2025
The Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) recently accepted four participants for its spring 2025 Grant Writing Residency Program.

‘I had this animal, physical desire to be with my child’: author Rachel Yoder on writing Nightbitch

Tuesday, December 3, 2024
The novelist’s cult book about a stay-at-home mother who turns into a dog is now a film starring Amy Adams. She talks about modern parenting, breaking taboos, and how Trump’s win spurred her to write.

UI’s Jamel Brinkley wins Maya Angelou Book Award for 'Witness: Stories'

Friday, November 22, 2024
Jamel Brinkley, assistant professor in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, was named the winner of the fourth annual Maya Angelou Book Award for Witness: Stories. He was named Nov. 21 during the Writers for Readers literary event co-sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library and the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.

Cofounder of UI International Writing Program Hualing Engle dies

Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Hualing Nieh Engle, a University of Iowa alumna, professor emerita, and cofounder of the renowned UI International Writing Program, has died. She was 99.

International Writing Program participant wins 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

Thursday, October 10, 2024
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to South Korean author Han Kang, a 1998 participant in the University of Iowa International Writing Program (IWP).

UI alum Juan Felipe Herrera receives MacArthur ‘genius grant’

Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Poet, educator, and writer Juan Felipe Herrera, who received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1990, was named a recipient of a 2024 MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “genius grant.”

3 writers with Iowa ties are finalists for National Book Award

Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Kaveh Akbar, m.s. RedCherries, and Deborah Jackson Taffa are finalists for the prestigious National Book Award.