Applications for Young Authors Collective are open for Spring 2026. 

          The Young Authors Collective (YAC) is a group of high school writers who meet to engage in a literary community and write. YAC Denver meets weekly from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. YAC Online meets weekly from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MDT. 

YAC Denver meets weekly on Wednesdays in-person at Lighthouse Writers Workshop at 3844 York Street. 

YAC Online meets weekly on Thursdays via Zoom.
 

YAC members must attend all meetings and respond to emails and/or text messages from the instructor and Lighthouse staff in a timely manner.
 

YAC is an ideal place to create long-lasting connections and develop as a writer. We’ll look to marginalized and traditionally underrepresented writers for examples and prompts as well as to expand our notion of the literary canon. Members of YAC build their skills across forms, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid/experimental; by workshopping (giving and receiving feedback) on their pieces; and engaging in craft lessons. They are also expected to meet deadlines, contribute to the group blog, and set writing goals.
         YAC Denver Instructor: Gary Garrison
         YAC Online Instructor: Jesaka Long

Tuition is $550 per semester; full and partial financial aid is available. (Apply to YAC first, and after you are accepted, you can request financial aid.) YAC members make a year-long commitment to the program (if applying in the fall), but can pay by semester!

Please take your time with this application. Answer the questions as fully and thoughtfully as possible.

The Writing In Color Fellowship for Emerging Writers is awarded annually to a writer of color who demonstrates a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their craft, and a dedication to community service. This fellowship provides financial support for writers who would benefit from a year of involvement at Lighthouse but would not be able to do so without financial support. The goal is to support emerging writers of color in the Lighthouse Writers Workshop community.

BIPOC+* writers who reside in the United States and have participated in Lighthouse programming in the past or are planning to participate in the near future are eligible to apply.

In order to support the skills and creative passion of emerging writers in the Lighthouse community, this fellowship is intended for emerging writers of color who have not had significant access to or experience with traditional opportunities to learn and grow in the literary world. 

While Lighthouse has always emphasized accessibility, this award offers a depth and consistency of engagement to the fellowship recipient. The year-long award period not only engages the writer in directed literary activities, but also allows for full immersion in a project or body of work.

The Fellowship will provide access to:  

• Four multi-week courses 
• Five craft class credits
• Participation in the annual Writing in Color Fest
• Up to 5 hours access to a Lighthouse faculty member for mentorship 
• One-year membership at Lighthouse Writers Workshop 
• Opportunity to support a Lighthouse community outreach program, helping to facilitate, administrate, or teach in the program. 

*BIPOC+ includes but is not limited to: African, Indigenous, Native, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Arab, and Multiracial heritage.

DEADLINE TO APPLY:  January 26, 2026 at 11:59 pm MST

FELLOWSHIP DATES:  March 2026–March 2027

NOTIFICATION: Applicants will be notified of submission status via email in late February 2026.

 WHO’S ELIGIBLE:

• Writers identifying as BIPOC+* who reside in the United States and have participated in Lighthouse programming in the past or are planning to participate in the near future.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older

APPLICATION GUIDELINES: Please read these guidelines carefully. Submissions that do not meet the requirements below will not be considered.

Your submission should comprise a cover letter including your name, the name of the genre you are applying for, and your contact information. Your cover letter is the only place where your name should appear. Paginate your document, and use legible, 12-point font and standard margins. Upload your writing sample as a single .pdf, .doc, or .docx document. 

Recommendation letters are not required.

WRITING SAMPLE FORMAT:

Poetry: Six-to-eight pages of poems. Only one poem per page is permitted, though you may submit multi-paged poems. Insert hard page breaks between every page.

Prose: Excerpt or combination of pieces to equal no more than 2500 words. More is not necessarily better. Please use standard manuscript format, double-spacing and ensuring page numbers are visible.

To complete your application via Submittable you will answer fellowship specific questions, submit your writing sample, cover letter, and pay the application fee of $20. The application fee allows us to honor the time and energy spent by our skilled Writing in Color faculty members who will be reviewing all applications. If the application fee is prohibitive, please e-mail us at info@lighthousewriters.org to discuss alternatives.

Cover letters should be typed into the corresponding box on Submittable. Include your full name, address, email address and telephone number. Please respond to each question in the corresponding text box explaining why you wish to apply for the fellowship and what you expect to accomplish over the course of the year.

One application per candidate. Please do not wait until the last day to apply in case you have technical difficulties submitting your application. Please note that we will not be able to respond to inquiries regarding applications that are not accepted, nor will we be able to provide feedback on those entries.

Lighthouse Mission: The mission of Lighthouse Writers Workshop is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education, support, and community for writers and readers in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. We strive to ensure that literature maintains its proper prominence in the culture, and that individuals achieve their fullest potential as artists and human beings.

QUESTIONS?  Email our Community Engagement Program Manager, Marissa Morrow at marissa@lighthousewriters.org

Lit Fest features weeklong and weekend advanced workshops in novel, short story, and hybrid genres. Participation is by application only. Weeklong workshops meet five times, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 11:30 AM MDT and include a one-on-one meeting with the instructor. The weekend workshop meets twice, Saturday and Sunday, from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM MDT or 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM MDT each day. 

All workshops are held in person in Denver.

Please use this form to apply for an advanced workshop in fiction (or screenwriting) with:

• Steve Almond, Chris Castellani, Danielle Evans, Mat Johnson, Rebecca Makkai, Brandon Taylor (Monday–Friday, June 15–19)
• Melissa Broder, Megha Majumdar (Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14)
• Additional visiting authors you might select (serving multi-genres): Dean Bakopoulos (screenplay/fiction/NF), Andre Dubus III, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and Eileen Myles

Please remove all identifying information from your 10-page writing sample. You'll need to complete a separate application if you're applying for multiple workshops (which is not the same as listing alternate workshops if you don't get your first choice). Applicants for the Lit Fest Fellowship for Emerging Writers in fiction, Veterans Writing Award, and LARRK fellowship for writers with physical disabilities should also use this form. 

This year's judge for the emerging writer fellowship in fiction is novelist Ramona Ausubel (The Last Animal, Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty).

Please see our website for the workshop descriptions and tuition information.

The priority deadline for applications is March 9. Applications after that date will be considered on a rolling basis, space permitting (all of the classes have filled in past years). No fellowship applications will be considered after March 9.

Lit Fest features weeklong and weekend advanced workshops in memoir, narrative nonfiction, hybrid genres, and essay. Participation is by application only, and courses are limited to 10 participants each. Weeklong workshops meet five times, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 11:30 AM MDT, after which there's time for one-on-one meetings with the instructor. Weekend workshops meet twice, Saturday and Sunday, from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM each day. 

All workshops are held in person in Denver.

Please use this form to apply for an advanced workshop in nonfiction, memoir, or essay with:

• Emily Rapp Black, Andre Dubus III, Beth Nguyen, Rachel Louise Snyder (Monday–Friday, June 15–19).
• Heather Christle, Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14)
• Others to consider: Eileen Myles, Dean Bakopoulos

   Please remove all identifying information from your 10-page writing sample. You'll need to complete a separate application if you're applying for multiple workshops (which is not the same as listing alternate workshops if you don't get your first choice). Applicants for the Lit Fest Fellowship for Emerging Writers in Nonfiction, Veterans Writing Award, and LARRK Fellowship for Writers with Physical Disabilities should also use this form. 

The emerging writer fellowship for nonfiction will be judged this year by Elissa Washuta (White Magic, My Body is a Book of Rules). 

Please see our website for the workshop descriptions and tuition information.      

The priority deadline for applications is March 9. Applications after that date will be considered on a rolling basis, space permitting (all of the classes have filled in past years). No fellowship applications will be accepted after March 9.

Join us for Lighthouse’s new traveling retreat, Rekindle. Our kickoff program will be in Juneau, Alaska from May 24 to 31, with optional add-on excursions that extend your stay to June 2. This generative retreat will feature a blend of ample writing time, local exploration, manuscript feedback from seasoned writers and teachers, and connection with other adventurous writers. The instructors are award-winning writers and teachers Erika Krouse and Rachel Weaver.

The retreat will be filled on a rolling basis and early-bird applications to join the retreat close midnight, January 15, 2026. Acceptance doesn't guarantee a space, so we recommend registering as soon as you are notified. After January 15, please apply for any open spots at the regular retreat rate. For more information about the cost and content of the retreat, see our website here.            

Lit Fest features weeklong and weekend advanced workshops in poetry. Participation is by application only, and each class is limited to 12 poets (14 for a generative workshop). Weeklong workshops meet five times, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 11:30 AM MDT,  and include a one-on-one meeting with the instructor. Weekend workshops meet twice, Saturday and Sunday, from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM MDT. All workshops are scheduled to be held in person in Denver.  

Please use this form to apply for an advanced workshop in poetry with:

• Paul Muldoon or a multi-genre generative workshop with Eileen Myles (Monday–Friday, June 15–19) 
• Layli Long Soldier (Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14)

Please remove all identifying information from your 3-to-5-poem writing sample. You'll need to complete a separate application if you're applying for multiple workshops (which is not the same as listing alternate workshops if you don't get your first choice). Applicants for the Lit Fest Fellowship for Emerging Writers in Poetry, Veterans Writing Award, and LARRK Fellowship for Writers with Physical Disabilities should also use this form. 

This year's fellowship judge for emerging writers in poetry is Eduardo Corral (Guillotine, The Lightning Field). 

Please see our website for the workshop descriptions and tuition information. The priority deadline for applications is March 9. Applications after that date will be considered on a rolling basis, space permitting (all of the classes have filled in past years). No fellowship applications will be accepted after March 9.