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

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News, Publications, and Awards

Jamel Brinkley wins 2024 Maya Angelou Book Award Juan Felipe Herrera awarded 2024 MacArthur Genius Grant Ruthvika Rao shortlisted for the Center For Fiction First Novel Prize 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

Before the Mango Ripens, by Afabwaje Kurian

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

 

The Goner School, by Jessica Laser

The Goner School 
Jessica Laser 
September 27, 2024 | Poetry

 

Small Rain, by Garth Greenwell

Small Rain 
Garth Greenwell 
September 3, 2024 | Fiction

 

Terminal Maladies book cover

Terminal Maladies 
Okwudili Nebeolisa

 

Browse Publications See Prizes & Awards

The Latest Updates

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Bevin O’Connor teaching on Wednesdays, Jan 22-Mar 12: "The Burn That Keeps Everything Awake: Generative Poetry" https://grackleandgrackle.com/product/bocwi25po/

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Aimee Phan in San Francisco, CA on May 18th, 2025 https://www.bookpassage.com/event/aimee-phan-lost-queen-ferry-building-store

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Poetry by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo: "Brief," "An Exchange of Equal Things," "Come, Sit," and "A Walk in Time" | 'Isele Magazine' https://iselemagazine.com/2024/12/06/four-poems-esther-ifesinachi-okonkwo/

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Okwudili Nebeolisa in Minneapolis, MN on Mar 21, 2025 https://cla.umn.edu/english/news-events/events/first-books-reading-2 https://cla.umn.edu/english/news-events/events/first-books-reading-2Okwudili

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
"An Interview with Thisbe Nissen: New Projects and Lessons from Unpublished Work" | 'The Iowa Source' magazine https://www.iowasource.com/2024/12/05/thisbe-nissen/

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Anna Noyes on Knowing When to Give Up: In Conversation with Mitzi Rapkin on the First Draft Podcast | Literary Hub https://lithub.com/anna-noyes-on-knowing-when-to-give-up/

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Portrait of Jamel Brinkley

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

Friday, November 22, 2024
Office of Strategic Communication
2022 National Hum Medalists Joy Harjo and Juan Felipe Herrera

Joy Harjo and Juan Felipe Herrera win 2022 National Humanities Medals

Wednesday, October 30, 2024
"President Joseph R. Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals, in conjunction with the National Medals of Arts, on Monday, October 21, 2024, in a private ceremony at the White House."
National Book Award Finalists: Kaveh Akbar, m.s. RedCherries, and Deborah Jackson Taffa

3 writers with Iowa ties are finalists for National Book Award

Thursday, October 3, 2024
Sara Epstein Moninger
Juan Felipe Herrera

Juan Felipe Herrera Named 2024 MacArthur Fellow

Tuesday, October 1, 2024
More Alumni News
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