For more than 80 years writers have come to Iowa City to work on their manuscripts and to exchange ideas about writing and reading with each other and with the faculty. Many of them have gone on to publish award-winning work after graduating. With the spirit of an arts colony and the benefits of the research University of which we are a part, the Writers' Workshop continues to foster and to celebrate American literature in all its varied forms.

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Events

Live from Prairie Lights | Madeline McDonnell in conv with Stephen Lovely - 'Lonesome Ballroom'

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 7:00pm
Prairie Lights Books
Iowa Writers' Workshop alum Madeline McDonnell will read from her newest novel, Lonesome Ballroom, and will be joined in conversation with fellow Writers' Workshop alum and current director of the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, Stephen Lovely. Set in a bar in the early-aughts and featuring a far-ranging conversation between patron/protagonist Betty Block and bartender Lizzie about everything from "gender’s relationship to popular aesthetics that swirls from ancient epics to turn-of-the-millennium...
100-Word Microstory Contest promotional image

100-Word Microstory Contest

Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 25, 2025 (all day)
Virtual
Our 100-Word Microstory Contest is a free online writing competition for a variety of age groups. Writing prompts here on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 9 a.m. CDT.You don’t have to be an Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad—or even have participated in a writing contest before—to join in the fun. Just create a story in 100 words or less that uses one of two specific writing prompts.The age categories are:· Grades 3 & 4· Grades 5 & 6· Grades 7 & 8· Grades 9–12· Adult (University of Iowa Alumni)· Adult (Friend...

Live from Prairie Lights | Robin Hemley - 'How to Change History'

Monday, July 14, 2025 7:00pm
Prairie Lights Books
Former Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program director Robin Hemley will read from his newest book, How to Change History: A Salvage Project. Described as a grappling with "the individual’s navigation of history and the conflict between personal and public histories," How to Change History meditates on a range of media, from photos and historical markers to "incontinent dachshunds," and attempts to "restore, resurrect, and reclaim what might otherwise be lost" (robinhemley.com). Lia Purpura, author of ...
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