Lighthouse Writers Workshop is a literary nonprofit center in Denver since 1997. Our mission 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.
The Post-Grad Year is for graduates of the Book Project looking for additional writing structure, support, and inspiration. Join a cohort of five other writers and a new mentor for a streamlined, yearlong program aimed at polishing an existing manuscript or starting a new one.
Mentors so far:
- Tiffany Quay Tyson (novel, short stories)
- Shana Kelly (publishing expert)
Additional mentors will be added based on the number of interested applicants. Potential mentors include:
- Natalie Hodges (NNF)
- Dino Enrique Piacentini (novel, short stories)
- Sarah Elizabeth Schantz (novel, short stories, NNF)
The Lighthouse Summer Writing Intensive is led by published and award-winning writers, and each workshop is designed to foster creativity, self-expression, and excitement about writing. During camp week, young writers will work at length with a number of published instructors in a variety of genres and will leave camp with new knowledge about the craft of writing, at least one completed piece of work, and enthusiasm about pieces-to-come. Campers will be invited, but not required, to share a piece of writing in a public reading at the end of the week. Writers of all experience are welcome to apply; we look for campers who are excited to write and spend a week as part of a writing community.
This IN-PERSON camp is held at Lighthouse Writers Workshop at 3844 York Street, Denver, CO 80205. This is a NOT an overnight camp. Camp dates for 2024 are July 15-19 for middle school ages and July 22-26 for high school ages. Camp hours are 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
Our full day camps include a lunch hour for eating (please bring your lunch), free-writing, hanging out with new friends, and lawn-cartwheeling. The camp culminates each year in a public reading, where students have the opportunity to showcase their work.
Each camper will have the opportunity to submit their writing to the annual youth anthology, And We Created Worlds, to be published. Each student that submits to the anthology will receive a copy of the professionally published anthology in December of 2024.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
Lighthouse staff and faculty review each application, looking particularly at a student's expressed interest in writing and writing sample. Beginning in January 2024, we will review and accept applications on a rolling basis. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status within two weeks of submitting their application. If a camp fills, we will create a waitlist. If any student declines or cancels their acceptance, we will contact the next student on the waitlist. If a camp is full, we will post that information on our website. Currently, space is available in all camps.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We strive to fill our camp with students who show a passion for writing, a creative spark, a desire to explore new topics, and openness to discovering new things. Group dynamics are especially important in a camp as small as ours, so we expect that all applicants will be respectful of instructors and their peers, and motivated to write. We also welcome a diverse range of interests in our students—some are experienced writers with hundreds of pages under their belts, while others excel at sports, music, math, or science, but want to gain more experience in writing. We do not discriminate based on the need for financial aid.
PAYMENT POLICY
The cost of the camp is $575.00. This cost includes a copy of a professionally published book after the camp weeks are completed for campers who submit work to be published. Payment is required to secure a spot once you have received an acceptance. After you’ve received an acceptance letter, please register online, call with payment, or send us a check. For cancellations and refunds, see our cancellation policy.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Lighthouse believes that all young people should have an opportunity to explore the world through creative writing. Therefore, we offer a sliding scale to families who need financial aid. To request financial assistance, please fill out the appropriate sections of the application form. We will contact you about financial aid at the time of your acceptance to our camp.
Young writers in grades 3-12 who've taken a Lighthouse workshop (either in-house, online, or off-site) from September 2023 through August 2024 are welcome to submit up to three typed, double-spaced pages of creative writing for our annual anthology, And We Created Worlds.
Work must have been written or started in a Lighthouse workshop between September 2023 and August 2024.
Please note that we will not accept submissions that discriminate against others, contain gratuitous violence, or plagiarize existing pieces. We also ask that writers include content warnings on their pieces, which can be indicated in our submission portal.
Learn more about the Young Writers Program.
The mission of Lighthouse Writers Workshop is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education, support, and community for writers and readers of all ages 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. Launched in 2016, the Lighthouse Writers Workshop community engagement programs took on a new level of commitment to Colorado writers, readers, and individuals curious about creative writing. We began offering workshops geared toward people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty in partnership with Denver Public Library and the Denver VOICE.
Any participants who have taken Lighthouse classes in any of our adult community engagement programming (either in-house, online, or off-site) from September 2023 through August 2024 are welcome to submit one piece of creative writing that is up to five pages double-spaced for the fifth installment of our annual anthology, All the Lives We Ever Lived!
Community engagement programming at Lighthouse is ever-evolving with each new partnership and workshop. If you took a Lighthouse class in any of the following programming, please continue on to submit a piece for publication! If you're unsure about eligibility, do drop us a line at info@lighthousewriters.org and we'll be happy to assist you.
- Hard Times
- Writing in Color Meetup
- Writing in Color Fest
- Queer Creatives Meetup
- Queer Creatives Fest
- Writing with Cancer
- C.O.R.A.L
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Workshops
- Self Care Through Art at the Belmar Library
- Vicarious Trauma Workshops
- Clayton Community Days
- Anythink Library (Huron and/or Bennett) Poetry Workshops
Work must have been written or started in a Lighthouse workshop between September 2023 and August 2024. Please note that we will not accept submissions that discriminate against others, contain gratuitous violence, or plagiarize existing pieces. We also ask that writers include content warnings on their pieces, which can be indicated in our submission portal. Please note, we will only be accepting one submission per person this year.
Once you've submitted your piece, you can expect to hear back from a Lighthouse staff member within two weeks to confirm receipt and next steps.
Learn more about Lighthouse's Community Programs!
The Poetry Collective is a manuscript-focused curriculum for poets. It’s a flexible, affordable program aimed at helping you produce a finished, high-quality book of poems that reads as a cohesive collection, not just a bundle of singular works.
Please apply by 11:59 PM mountain time on June 22, 2024. Applicants will be contacted regarding spots by mid July.
For tuition information, curriculum, and information about mentors, see our website. You can find Poetry Collective mentor bios here:
We’re pleased with your interest in the Book Project. This is a two-year program for serious writers. With this in mind, please take your time with this application. Answer questions as fully and honestly as possible. We encourage you to apply early, but you have until 11:59 PM MDT on June 22, 2024. Applicants will be contacted regarding spots by mid July.
Just FYI:
- Orientation for new Book Projecteers: August 24, 4:30 PM MDT
- The fall intensive is September 20–22
- The winter intensive is January 10–12
- Next spring (2025) is April 25–27
For program and tuition details, please see our website.
You can find mentor bios and information about the projects they're seeking here:
This is where writers can indicate interest in openings or waitlists for advanced in-person 2024 Lit Fest Workshops. As with every year, the spots for advanced workshops are first offered to writers who make the priority deadline, but sometimes they aren't able to accept their spots or things change once they're enrolled. This is the queue for that eventuality. The rest are all on waitlists.
Our instructors for this year include:
- Nonfiction writers Emily Rapp Black, T Kira Māhealani Madden*, Beth Nguyen, Amitava Kumar, and Sloane Crosley (replacing Meghan O'Rourke)
- Fiction writers Steve Almond, Danielle Evans, Vanessa Hua, Alexandra Kleeman, Claire Messud*, Jenny Offill, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin
- Poets Mark Doty*, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, and Jane Hirshfield*
As of 4/12, it's unlikely that spots will be available in courses other than Sloane Crosley's, since she was just added. All of the visiting authors are teaching craft seminars and giving readings, so see our website if you'd like to join any of those.
Should other spots open up, we'll accept qualified applicants on a rolling basis, first-come, first-served, beginning in mid-April.
The fellowship deadline was 3/9, so it's too late to apply for Emerging Writers or LARRK (for writers with disabilities) fellowships. As always, our reading fees cover the time spent by our review teams.
To read more about the courses offered, course tuition, and Lit Fest in general, check out our our site at www.lighthousewriters.org.
Applications for Young Authors Collective are open for 2023-2024 school year from November 15 - January 12.
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. The first meeting for Spring 2024 is January 17, 2024.
Dates:
- January 17, 24, 31
- February 7, 14, 21, 28
- March 6, 13, 20, 27
- April 3, 10, 17, 24
- May 1, 8, 15
YAC Online meets weekly on Thursdays via Zoom. The first meeting for Spring 2024 is January 18, 2024. Dates:
- January 18, 25
- February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
- March 7, 14, 21, 28
- April 4, 11, 18, 25
- May 2, 9, 16
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 members may also participate in Lighthouse community-based projects, which can include collaborating with established adult writers, joining the editorial board for the And We Created Worlds and community anthologies, gaining non-profit management experience, and teaching young writers at the Free Creative Writing Lab through the Young Writers Program.
Instructor: Jesaka Long
Tuition is $520 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, but can pay by semester!
Please take your time with this application. Answer the questions as fully and thoughtfully as possible.