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Talented young creatives invited to join US writing programme

Participants at a previous International Writing Programme residence. — Pic: dailyiowan.

THE United States embassy in Zimbabwe has invited talented creative writers aged 15-18 to apply for the International Writing Programme Between the Lines (BTL): Peace and the Writing Experience Residency Programme.

The programme is scheduled to take place in Iowa City, US, from July 12 to 26.

Applicants must be between 15 and 18 years old as of July 12 this year.

According to the organisers, this year’s BTL will bring together up to 16 international writers.

Last year, 37 participants from Bangladesh, Cameroon, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States took part in two-week in-person sessions.

Although Zimbabwe was not represented, local poet and storyteller Tariro Ndoro was part of the esteemed faculty team, which included writers such as Senka Marić (Bosnia), Vladimir Poleganov (Bulgaria) and Rochelle Potkar (India).

They guided participants through classes focusing on creative writing and cultural exchange.

“In a world where it is extremely difficult to gain creative writing instruction so early in life, Between the Lines allowed each participant to attend workshops and seminars from a diverse collection of award-winning writers from around the world and also find community with each other, which is an invaluable asset for any writer to have so early in their literary career,” Ndoro told IndependentXtra.

“As an instructor on the programme for two years running, I was deeply humbled by the participants' willingness to engage with each other and the larger world and the curiosity they had for world literature.”

“We are delighted at this in-person training that presents an opportunity for young Zimbabwean writers to immerse themselves in US culture,” Butholezwe Nyathi, the public engagement coordinator at the US embassy said during an interview.

Since 2008, the IWP has hosted the programme every summer, with participants from all over the world gathering in Iowa City and living as a community in university dorms.

“BTL nominees should be able to travel to the US independently with a chaperone and/or in a small group,” read a statement released this week.

“Participants will be required to attend all in-person workshops, seminars and cultural exchange sessions during the two-week programme.

“There will be no virtual programming options. All programme activities will be in English and will include creative writing workshops, group and individual writing assignments, world literature seminars, cultural visits and other local events.”

Upon completion of the programme, participants will receive a certificate, and the IWP will publish their writings as an anthology.

Last year’s exchange resulted in two poetry anthologies: Between the Lines: Peace and the Writing Experience and Between the Lines: Identity and Belonging.

Submissions are open until February 14.

Applicants must provide specific details, including their full name (as it appears on their passport), city and country of birth, gender, current city and country of residence, country of citizenship, date of birth and a valid e-mail address.

According to the statement, students must be proficient in English (reading, writing, and speaking) and able to participate effectively in intercultural exchange.

All student nominees must submit an international student application form, along with writing samples of six to eight pages of original prose (creative fiction/nonfiction) and/or poetry in English.

Critical essays (book reports, academic reports, etc) will not be accepted.

Submissions may be one cohesive piece or several pieces of creative work to meet this requirement.

The International Writing Programme’s mission is to promote mutual understanding by providing writers from around the world with the necessary space, physical or imaginative, for creative work and collaboration in an intercultural setting.

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