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Miami Writers Institute

The Miami Writers Institute is an annual creative writing conference produced by the Miami Book Fair that takes place May 6-9, 2020.

The conference features intensive writing workshops with bestselling authors, manuscript consultations with a literary agent and happy hour events. Writing workshops are limited to 15 students each, to allow for individualized attention. This year, Richard Blanco is the poetry workshop instructor, alongside a lineup for prose writers that includes Boris Fishman, R.O. Kwon, Ana Maria Shua and Bryan Washington. The scholarship is NOT limited to poetry only; fiction, nonfiction writers, and screenwriters are welcome to apply. The scholarship spot is for any workshop of your choice.

Each Miami Writers Institute Scholarship will include the following:

One creative writing workshop with an award-winning author
Hotel accommodations for the duration of the conference (up to 4 nights).
Craft talks by all teaching faculty
A publishing seminar
Access to all additional Writers Institute events, including National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Reading with Anelise Chen, Isabella Hammad, Johannes Lichtman, Bryan Washington, and Ashley Wurzbacher. Event moderated by National Book Foundation Awards Manager Anna Dobben.
Continental breakfast Wednesday – Saturday
Boxed lunch and Lunchtime Readings by faculty
Access to the Hospitality Suite with complimentary snacks and beverages
Access to the Writing Lounge equipped with Mac computers
A Miami Writers Institute tote bag

To apply, submit the following materials to Marci Cancio-Bello at mcanciob@mdc.edu with the subject line “Cave Canem Scholarship” before the deadline.

Cover letter (1 – 2 pages): Include contact information, workshop preference, and a description of why this opportunity would be of value to you and your writing life
Writing sample: Prose: 10 pages, paginated, double-spaced with 1-inch margins; Poetry: 3 poems of any length

Please note that the deadline has been extended to June 30, 2020.

Within one month of attending the conference, the selected participant is required to submit a one-page evaluative report to Cave Canem.

Questions? Contact Malcolm Tariq at mtariq@ccpoets.org with the subject line “Miami Writers Institute.”

“By the time I leave a CC Retreat, I can feel that the internal imperative to Write! has shifted from an obsessive, isolating quality to one of deep communal rites and responsibilities – what healthier transition exists for an artist?

Geffrey Davis

2015-11-26T15:51:22-04:00

Geffrey Davis

“By the time I leave a CC Retreat, I can feel that the internal imperative to Write! has shifted from an obsessive, isolating quality to one of deep communal rites and responsibilities – what healthier transition exists for an artist?

https://cavecanempoets.org/testimonials/geffrey-davis/

“There is nothing like being seen by the eyes of those who, without explanation, understand why you do what you do when you do it. There is nothing like not having to decode or apologize for the sweet pleasure of a word or phrase that will not let loose of your ear.”

Nikky Finney, The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South

2015-11-26T15:29:19-04:00

Nikky Finney, The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South

“There is nothing like being seen by the eyes of those who, without explanation, understand why you do what you do when you do it. There is nothing like not having to decode or apologize for the sweet pleasure of a word or phrase that will not let loose of your ear.”

https://cavecanempoets.org/testimonials/nikky-finney-the-ringing-ear-black-poets-lean-south/

“While I can't even begin to measure Cave Canem's value to me personally (community, friendship, rigor), we all can see the radical movement it’s occasioned in American poetry. To be plain: it's changed—and is changing—the face(s) of our literary landscape. How often in our lives will we be able to participate in something as important and beautiful? It's a joy to support this."

Ross Gay, Fellow

2015-11-26T15:44:48-04:00

Ross Gay, Fellow

“While I can't even begin to measure Cave Canem's value to me personally (community, friendship, rigor), we all can see the radical movement it’s occasioned in American poetry. To be plain: it's changed—and is changing—the face(s) of our literary landscape. How often in our lives will we be able to participate in something as important and beautiful? It's a joy to support this."

https://cavecanempoets.org/testimonials/285/

“Cave Canem is a kind of heaven, yes. It’s not just that we are speaking to each other there as black people; it’s that we’ve lived the lives of black poets. We’ve faced the fears, the hurts, and we’re still poets. To undertake and stay with this task, usually so unrewarded, creates a kind of strength and compassion that is enormous.”

Toi Derricotte

2015-11-26T15:31:58-04:00

Toi Derricotte

“Cave Canem is a kind of heaven, yes. It’s not just that we are speaking to each other there as black people; it’s that we’ve lived the lives of black poets. We’ve faced the fears, the hurts, and we’re still poets. To undertake and stay with this task, usually so unrewarded, creates a kind of strength and compassion that is enormous.”

https://cavecanempoets.org/testimonials/toi-derricotte/

“Back in 2000 when I was first accepted at Cave Canem, I was working part-time at a bookstore making less than $7 an hour. The scholarship I received was the only reason I was able to attend, and it changed my writing life by introducing me to mentors like Toi Derricotte and Nikky Finney and eventually connecting me to the editor who published my first book. Please consider changing another poet's life by supporting Cave Canem financially.”

Traci Dant, Fellow

2015-11-26T15:44:16-04:00

Traci Dant, Fellow

“Back in 2000 when I was first accepted at Cave Canem, I was working part-time at a bookstore making less than $7 an hour. The scholarship I received was the only reason I was able to attend, and it changed my writing life by introducing me to mentors like Toi Derricotte and Nikky Finney and eventually connecting me to the editor who published my first book. Please consider changing another poet's life by supporting Cave Canem financially.”

https://cavecanempoets.org/testimonials/284/