• June 9, 2023
          End of Class Reading: Short Story Intensive
          June 10, 2023
          Poetry in Translation: Reading & Conversation with PEN Award Finalists
          June 15, 2023
          Slamlandia
          July 11, 2023
          Honeysuckle & Nightshade: Release Reading & Discussion
  • Box Office

Writers

Discover new ways to hone and celebrate your writing craft through our annual fellowships and awards, a wide range of classes, and free community events all year round.

Booth Emergency Fund for Writers

Like many of those in our communities, The COVID-19 pandemic has had a deep impact on Oregon’s writers. Many experienced crisis level disruptions to their work, family lives and overall financial security. In response to this need,  Literary Arts allocated a significant amount from our Brian Booth Writers’ Fund to create the Booth Emergency Fund for Writers. This emergency fund is designed to provide meaningful financial relief to Oregon’s writers, including cartoonists, spoken word poets and playwrights. 

Update on Booth Emergency Fund:

In response to the Covid-19 public health crisis,  Literary Arts allocated a significant amount from our Brian Booth Writers’ Fund to create the Booth Emergency Fund for Writers. This emergency fund was designed to provide meaningful financial relief to Oregon’s writers, including cartoonists, spoken word poets, and playwrights. The fund was launched in May 2020, and 188 Oregon writers applied for funding.  Applications were evaluated by Literary Arts staff and members of the Oregon Book Awards and Fellowships Advisory Council. Literary Arts prioritized funding for writers identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The fund opened a second round of applications in June 2020.

In July and August 2020, Literary Arts distributed a total of $150,000 to 150 writers. Over two application periods, 248 writers applied. 67 of these applicants were from BIPOC writers. All  of the eligible BIPOC applicants received funding

Upcoming Writing Classes

June 10, 2023
Autofiction Weekend Intensive
June 22, 2023
Writing For Television: Where to Begin
July 9, 2023
The First 25 Pages
July 11, 2023
In Defense of the Imagination: Craft & Daily Practice
July 18, 2023
The Visual Essay: Experiments in Form
July 19, 2023
Creative Clarity, Focus and Momentum
July 22, 2023
Dreamscapes of Body and Lineage: A Generative Workshop
July 26, 2023
Experiments in Creativity
August 4, 2023
Six Month Screenwriting Intensive
August 10, 2023
FADE IN: FOUNDATIONS FOR SCREENWRITING
August 26, 2023
Writing in the Child’s Voice
September 12, 2023
The Self-Doubting Writer: Releasing Anxiety
September 13, 2023
Nine-Month Novel Intensive: Wednesday
September 14, 2023
Nine-Month Novel Intensive: Thursday

“Literary Arts is doing the work and I was so proud to be a part of it. There is a pulse in the communities they’re engaging with – a hunger, a deep gratitude and so much talent finally getting seen and heard.”

Jacqueline Woodson

Oregon Literary Fellowships

Apply for financial support to initiate, develop, or complete your writing projects.

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Oregon Book Awards

Submit your published book for consideration during our annual awards ceremony.

Applications for the 2024 Oregon Book Awards will be available in May, 2023.

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Portland Book Festival

Participate in our annual celebration as a featured author in panel discussions and pop-up readings.

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Teach for Literary Arts

Join our roster of accomplished writers who host classes and workshops at our space. We also hire writers to teach creative writing residencies in local high schools.

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“I wish every city had an organization like Literary Arts. Every city deserves one, but Portland is the lucky recipient of the passion, magic, and insight that Literary Arts delivers through its many programs and visiting writers.”

Viet Thanh Nguyen