Alumni Updates

Steven Willis standing outside Prairie Lights

Writers' Workshop Alumni

Our alumni work as teachers and writers across many disciplines and publish books in every genre. 6 recent U.S. Poets Laureate have been graduates of the Writers' Workshop and some of the most distinctive, celebrated voices in contemporary poetry and fiction have come through our program and used their time here to develop their work and their voice.

"I do not in fact know what I would have done, or who I would have been as an adult, if I hadn’t lived in and around Iowa City"

- Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, MFA Writers' Workshop

News, Publications, and Awards

Elizabeth Willis and m.s. RedCherries longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award in Poetry Tony Tulathimutte longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award in Fiction V. V. Ganeshananthan wins the 2024 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction Jayne Anne Phillips wins the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction Jorie Graham, Yiyun Li, and Robyn Schiff are finalists for the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes in Fiction and Poetry V. V. Ganeshananthan is shortlisted for the 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction Jamel Brinkley, Justin Torres, and Robyn Schiff are named 2024 Guggenheim fellows Ada Zhang receives a 2024 Whiting Award Lan Samantha Chang receives 2024 Arts and Letters Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters

Before the Mango Ripens, by Afabwaje Kurian

Before the Mango Ripens
Afabwaje Kurian
_{September 24, 2024 | Fiction}

The Goner School
Jessica Laser
_{September 27, 2024 | Poetry}

Small Rain
Garth Greenwell
_{September 3, 2024 | Fiction}

Terminal Maladies
Okwudili Nebeolisa

Browse Publications See Prizes & Awards

The Latest Updates

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Monday, October 7, 2024

Tuesday! October 8th at 7pm in Prairie Lights bookstore, poets Melissa Dickey and Cass Donish will read from their latest books, 'Ordinary Entanglement' and 'Your Dazzling Death' events.uiowa.edu/89258

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Friday, October 4, 2024

Congratulations to m.s. RedCherries! on 'Mother', now a Finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry https://www.nationalbook.org/awards2024/#poetry

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Friday, October 4, 2024

Tonight! Friday, 10/4 at 7pm, Workshop alumni Okwudili Nebeolisa & Jessica Laser will read from their poetry at Prairie Lights bookstore. Nebeolisa will read from 'Terminal Maladies' and Laser will read from 'The Goner School' events.uiowa.edu/89016

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Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Congratulations to Juan Felipe Herrera, 2024 MacArthur Fellow! https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2024/juan-felipe-herrera

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Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Join us for the Truman Capote Award Ceremony at 4 pm today, Oct. 2, in the Old Capitol Senate Chamber at the U. of Iowa. It will feature remarks by winner, Gene Andrew Jarrett, honored for 'Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Life and Times of a Caged Bird', & a reception in the Rotunda events.uiowa.edu/87707