International Writing Program (IWP)

Photo of IWP participant from China

"I never imagined I would be one of the IWP participants. Most of the past Chinese participants at IWP are the mothers and fathers of today’s generation of Chinese literature." - Hu Xudong

The U.S Department o State provides support for the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program (IWP), which has brought together more than 1,000 rising and established literary stars from 120 countries to spend a semester exploring the creative writing process. Authors, screenwriters, journalists and other IWP participants benefit from the rich literary heritage and resources of Iowa City, a UNESCO City of Literature.

"IWP makes me feel like an accomplished writer. I have a new kind of permission."
--Niq Mhlongo (South Africa)

"I woke up in Iowa."
--Tarek Eltayeb (Egypt)


IWP Projects

Photo of 2010 Between the Lines (BTL) students participating in an intensive writing workshop.
Between the Lines
The Between the Lines (BTL) program brings 12 teenage writers from Arabic-speaking countries to the United States for two weeks of intensive creative writing workshops and cultural exchange. The students spend their days working with closely with American and in Arabic writing workshops. 

Blogs from Participants

Writers in Motion: an IWP study tour
Andrea Hirata: International Writing Program Alumni 2010
A Filipino Writer's Reflections on the IWP