QUALITIES THAT MAKE YOU A GOOD FIT FOR THIS ROLE

• Love of poetry and belief in its potential as an agent of change
• Commitment to sustaining and expanding our community and to creating opportunities for poets and readers
• Leadership skills and ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others
• Openness of heart and mind

ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT

To lead the organization by coordinating the activities of board members and working committees of the NEPC.  To be the face of the NEPC with respect to the community of poets and to the public.

Responsibilities: 

• Convene and lead monthly board meetings
• Represent the NEPC to the New England community
• Ensure the NEPC’s dedication to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda 
• Serve on the board of the Friends of the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters, venue of summer programs
• Collaborate with other board members and committees of the NEPC to:
  • facilitate ongoing communication with membership and the poetry community
  • arrange readings and events for members and the public
  • organize poetry workshops and foster education in poetry
  • partner with and build relationships with other organizations
  • award prizes and grants to poets and organizations
  • ensure sustainability and financial health of the NEPC
  • foster broader membership, including bringing in younger members
  • develop and mentor future leaders of the NEPC

TO APPLY

If you are interested in this volunteer position, submit the following (in Word or PDF format) to NEPC advisory member Danielle Legros Georges on or before March 31, 2022:

A brief statement of interest, including a summary of your leadership experience in work and/or volunteer contexts, as well as your background and participation in poetry and in community-building, and anything else you’d like us to know about you. Sharing your resume is optional. 

Send to daniellelaureate@gmail.com with the subject heading NEPC President; please include your telephone number and email address.

The post The New England Poetry Club is looking for a President appeared first on Literary Massachusetts.

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This 22nd edition is open for books published in 2021. Submissions will be accepted until January 15, 2022. 

We invite you to review the guidelines and complete the submission form using the link below. You will find some new elements this year:
In the Picture Book/Early Reader category, books are eligible if the writer OR illustrator is a current resident of MassachusettsWriting for adults or children that has been TRANSLATED by a Massachusetts resident is invited for a new category of achievement.We request one physical copy of the book for the first round of judgingMass Center for the Book has a new mailing address. Please update records so as to ensure timely delivery.

Click here to enter

Picture: Some of the winners and honorees of the 21st Massachusetts Book Awards

The post Call for submissions: 22nd Massachusetts Book Awards appeared first on Literary Massachusetts.

Applications are open to women and gender-expansive writers of color based in the Western MA counties of Frankin, Hampshire, and Hampden. Applicants must be in the early stages of their career and, in this cycle, must be writers of fiction.

The fellow will receive a $3000 stipend (up from $2,500) which can be used in any way the fellow chooses as long as it helps with their writing; e.g. to subsidize workshop attendance, writing residency fees, writing-related travel, competition fees, time off work to write, child-care.

The fellow will also receive complimentary Straw Dog Writers Guild membership during the year and access to mentors who can offer insight on craft, revision, promotion, publishing, or other writing needs identified by the fellow.

Other benefits include a professionally designed author website courtesy of Valley of Writers and an opportunity to promote their work through the Straw Dog Writers Guild mailing list and social media platforms.

The inaugural cycle of the Straw Dog Writers Guild Emerging Fellowship was for poetry and the selected fellow was Amina Jordan-Mendez (Pictured above).

Applications must be completed between November 1 and December 30, 2021. Finalists will be asked to participate in an interview and the selection committee decision will be announced by March 1, 2022. The fellowship term will run from May 2022 to May 2023.

The application form and more details are available online here.

The post Call for Applications: Straw Dog Writers Guild Emerging Writer Fellowship 2022-2023 appeared first on Literary Massachusetts.

Yesterday, it released a call for applications for interested writers who want to apply for scholarships to the 2022 edition of the conference, which will be a hybrid event.

Applications are open through Monday, November 8, 2021!

Grub Street offers need-based Tuition Scholarships to cover 50% of a Muse registration and 50% of any in-person events you choose to sign up for. The Manuscript Mart Add-On Scholarship covers 50% of the cost of a Manuscript Mart appointment, where writers will get feedback on 20 pages of their manuscript from a participating literary agent or editor of their choice. 

Apply for scholarships here

The Muse & The Marketplace 2022

What you can look forward to…

Week 1: Wednesday, April 27th – Sunday, May 1st

• Sessions on craft and publishing will take place virtually, as they did last year.
• Parties, events, and other gatherings will take place in-person in Boston, and will follow the most current public health guidelines. As the conference nears, these entirely optional events will be announced and made available for an added-on price. For those who can’t attend in-person, we’ll host virtual evening events too, and will facilitate new ways for virtual Muse-goers to connect and network.

• Facilitating the week will be goal-setting, small cohorts of your writer friends and those working in your genre, and 70 sessions taught by excellent guest authors on the craft of the novel, memoir, poetry, and much more; plus sessions on navigating the publishing world led by premiere literary agents, editors, publicists, and more.
• Nearly all 70 sessions will be recorded, so if you can’t follow the programming in real-time, you can simply absorb the richness of the residency on your *own* schedule in the weeks afterwards.
• Agent Info Sessions– a popular writer-agent networking event from last year– will invite you to join a small group of fellow writers to hear directly from a given literary agent on what manuscripts they’re seeking.
• Author’s Galleria Info Sessions with directors of MFA programs, author photographers, and other services for writers.
• Surprise guests, little joys, and a “package of intrigue and fun” sent directly to your door, the contents of which will be revealed as the residency unfolds! Those outside the US and who register after April 1st will receive a virtual package of fun and intrigue. Physical packages are limited and available while supplies last!
• We look forward to including writers from all over the country and the world, in a way that has never before been possible.The Muse 2022 will take place on a platform called Attendify, a one-stop destination where all your sessions, cohort meet-ups, and chats with other attendees will happen. With this platform, you can connect with other conference-goers at the click of a button.

Week 2: Wednesday, May 4th – Sunday, May 8th

• The ever-popular Manuscript Mart, with your meetings with agents and editors happening over the phone.
• Premium Workshops will invite you into a small workshop with a star author, centered on a particular theme or perspective.

Click here for more information on Muse 2022

Image: Featured speakers from The Muse & The Marketplace 2021 courtesy of Grub Street & individual speakers

The post Scholarships available for ‘The Muse & The Marketplace’ 2022 appeared first on Literary Massachusetts.

The Northampton Arts Council is inviting organizations, schools, and individuals to apply for grants that support arts activities in the community. These grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Northampton, Florence, and Leeds– including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures.

“We’re especially looking forward to supporting programs that promote access, equity, and inclusion in the arts,” said Danielle Amodeo, Chair of the Northampton Arts Council.

The Northampton Arts Council strongly encourages BIPOC artists and cultural producers, as well as others who hold historically excluded identities to apply. “We’re eager to support projects that redress historical inequities in our city and are excited to work with first-time applicants of all ages and backgrounds,” said Amodeo.

This year, the Northampton Arts Council will distribute about $19,600 in grants.

The deadline is October 15th, 2021.

For more complete information and for application details, visit the Northampton Arts Council Grants page.

Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels

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