Official account of Poets & Writers, the primary source of information, support, and guidance for creative writers since 1970. Sign up for our newsletter: at.pw.org/newsletterhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlwk3nem7c2s#ClipOfTheDay: In this event at the American Library in Paris, Sasha Debevec-McKenney, author of Joy Is My Middle Name, and Oluwaseun Olayiwola, author of Strange Beach, speak about their debut collections in a conversation with writer and researcher Emma Gomis. at.pw.org/PoetryBecoming16 May 2026 00:00 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwk3nem7c2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlwf2t3ulg2eThe Time Is Now to spark your writing! This week we recommend a guide on crafting better sentences by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott, and #PWWritingPrompts on good rhymes, early blooms, and temporality. Read more: at.pw.org/TTIN15 May 2026 22:30 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwf2t3ulg2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlvmr6gcwd2bNew York State Writers: Don't miss your chance to apply for a Readings & Workshops grant. These grants pays fees to writers who participate in public readings or teach creative workshops in diverse community settings throughout New York State. Learn more and apply by May 31: at.pw.org/rwfunds15 May 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvmr6gcwd2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mltkp7ovrw2hEnjoy our compendium of reflections from writers on the quieter, more personal wins that have affirmed them in their careers. From reconnecting with a childhood librarian at a reading to sharing galleys of a first book with high school English teachers and more: at.pw.org/PersonalVictories14 May 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltkp7ovrw2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlsrlzlymq2eGetting published can feel like wandering a maze. Our workshop Mapping the Maze can help. We recognize that a poet's publishing journey is different in many ways from that of a prose writer, so this edition designed specifically for poets. Learn more and register: at.pw.org/poetrymaze2614 May 2026 12:03 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlsrlzlymq2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlrj5urtxr2e#ClipOfTheDay: In this Books Are Magic event, Jimin Han reads from her novel Dreamt I Found You (Little, Brown) and talks about the book’s setting and the diversity of Korean American enclaves in New England in a conversation with Marie Myung-Ok Lee. at.pw.org/JiminHan14 May 2026 00:00 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrj5urtxr2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlqrwrplv52b“Sometimes the poem doesn’t need proof. Sometimes it just needs a whisper, or a creature no one can quite name,” writes Maya Salameh, author of Mermaid Theory (@haymarketbooks.org). Enjoy more: at.pw.org/WRSalameh13 May 2026 17:04 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqrwrplv52bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlqb2tqy3e2jSpend more time writing and less time researching submissions. Browse over 800 literary magazines in our free database. Filter by genre to find detailed listings that include contact information, editorial policies, fees, and more, to inform your submission strategy. Explore now: at.pw.org/litmags13 May 2026 12:02 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqb2tqy3e2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlojrdc7cg2vWith his second poetry collection, These Spaceships Weren’t Built for Us, out with Tia Chucha Press, Alan Chazaro spotlights journals that have published his poems on the “physical and social dimensions” of space. Learn about Honey Literary, Gigantic Sequins, and others: at.pw.org/LitAlanChazaro12 May 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlojrdc7cg2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlmiacmoov2b#ClipOfTheDay: In this Free Library of Philadelphia event, M Lin reads from her debut story collection, The Memory Museum (Graywolf Press), and discusses how her background in film and art history shapes her writing in a conversation with ‘Pemi Aguda. at.pw.org/MLin12 May 2026 00:00 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmiacmoov2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mllzcdzf2k2s“Just as the debut novel sets the tone for the rest of the author’s career, the agent’s first sales shape the list that she will acquire.” In our new issue, Laura B. McGrath writes about how every young agent is looking to land a successful debut and establish themselves. at.pw.org/DebutPhenomenon11 May 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllzcdzf2k2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mllig47xjo2b“If you love writing your first-person narrator, but want to move outside of their head, consider expanding their range: How would they describe a scene, a party, a fight?” Larissa Pham, author of Discipline (@randomhouse.bsky.social), reflects on fusing points of view in fiction. at.pw.org/PhamCC111 May 2026 14:30 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllig47xjo2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlj2gdgarz2uCheckout this #PageOne book you won’t want to miss: Laura Kasischke’s twenty-second book, I Was Bonnie & Clyde (Copper Canyon Press). Find out more about these titles and ten others: at.pw.org/PageOne2026x310 May 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlj2gdgarz2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlgciowmgw2b#PWNonfictionPrompt: Consider your own sense of inheritance, whether material or otherwise, and write an essay that connects you to this history. #FromTheArchive: at.pw.org/ConjuringInheritance09 May 2026 13:01 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgciowmgw2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlewwe5ei32u#ClipOfTheDay: In this interview at Claremont Graduate University, Marianne Boruch talks about her collection The Book of Hours, for which she won the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and how poetry remains a “mysterious form.” Boruch is the recipient of the 2026 Jackson Poetry Prize. at.pw.org/Boruch09 May 2026 00:01 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlewwe5ei32uhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlersdvlrz2vThe Time Is Now to spark your writing! This week we recommend a new book of inspiring writing exercises by Lucy Ives, and #PWWritingPrompts on caretaking, lost data, and musical characters. Read more: at.pw.org/TTIN08 May 2026 22:30 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlersdvlrz2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mldopjdwvc2vIf you weren’t frightened by what others might think, what story would you tell? In this class led by author Deborah Taffa, students will explore ethical remembering, how to create characters out of your people, and how to build a persona for yourself. Get an early-bird discount: at.pw.org/4rtGv2F08 May 2026 12:02 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldopjdwvc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlbxgs3tka2sLearn about one author’s dedication to earning her readers’ trust while writing a novel with difficult themes, and the personal responses that followed. “Why…were these readers disclosing to me, and how could I respond in a way that honored the person and the moment?” at.pw.org/ReadersTrust07 May 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbxgs3tka2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mlbizlemnf2b“So many of us have just barely been making it work here. I feel like the city is expelling me as a writer,” says Jasmin Darznik, the creative writing MFA department chair at the California College of the Arts, which is closing its doors in spring 2027. Read more: at.pw.org/CCAClosure07 May 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbizlemnf2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml7vvewecm22#ClipOfTheDay: In this Beyond Baroque event, poets David Quiroz and Joseph Rios join Alan Chazaro for a reading to celebrate the launch of his second collection, These Spaceships Weren’t Built for Us (Tia Chucha Press). at.pw.org/Chazaro07 May 2026 00:00 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7vvewecm22https://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml76jz7qpn2v“I approach editing with this sense of reverence for where the writer comes from, how difficult and stripping the work of sharing their writing may be.“ Read more from Juwon Jun, associate editor at indie publisher Wendy‘s Subway: at.pw.org/AERJun06 May 2026 17:02 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml76jz7qpn2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml75twybrs2qCongratulations to Marianne Boruch, winner of the 2026 Jackson Poetry Prize. Awarded annually by Poets & Writers to an American poet of exceptional talent, the prize carries an award of $100,000. Read the press release: at.pw.org/JP26pr #jacksonprize #JacksonPoetryPrize #Poetry06 May 2026 16:49 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml75twybrs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml6ntctpbu2eReady to find an agent? Our free Literary Agents database includes agents and agencies that represent creative writers, plus the kind of books they're interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them. Browse 220+ listings, all vetted by our editorial team: at.pw.org/agents06 May 2026 12:03 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml6ntctpbu2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml4witqwfm2eIn our latest issue Alia Hanna Habib (Gernert Company) speaks to Vivian Lee about all things agenting. “Sometimes queries emphasize platform a little too much. They’re a little too much about marketing instead of thinking about the actual writing of the query.” at.pw.org/AEAliaHannaHabib05 May 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4witqwfm2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml2uxn4jdp2v#ClipOfTheDay: In this Green Apple Books event, Emilie Lygren, author of Once I Was a Stone (Wayfarer Books), and Deema K. Shehabi, author of Water to Water: Gaza Renga (Interlink Books), read from their books and discuss their experiences with writing communities. at.pw.org/LygrenAndShehabi05 May 2026 00:00 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2uxn4jdp2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3ml2fzvnfv222In following with our belief that there is no one timeline for being a writer, our May/June issue includes a list of the growing number of prizes that honor writers debuting at age 50 and beyond. “These opportunities affirm the value of lived experience,” writes Jimin Han. at.pw.org/RightOnTime04 May 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2fzvnfv222https://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mkzqaox7js2s“I find that the older I get, the more baffling it all is, the more the mystery deepens. I want wildness, some tangled-ness.” Celebrated author Julia Alvarez speaks with Renée H. Shea for our new issue. Read more about her latest collection, Visitations: at.pw.org/WildnessAndMystery04 May 2026 13:03 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzqaox7js2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mkxh5uiq6522The CEO and ED of Little Free Library, Daniel Gumnit, discusses the power of community organizing and the importance of championing diverse books. “…LFL is about the joy of reading and about books, but mostly we’re about community. And to me that’s a beautiful thing.” at.pw.org/GumnitLeadsLibrary03 May 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkxh5uiq6522https://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mkupah32zx2s#PWFictionPrompt: Adapt dialogue from your own life into a short story. Compare what really happened with how you write it in fiction. #FromTheArchive: at.pw.org/Experience02 May 2026 13:01 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkupah32zx2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pw.org/post/3mktdmaapfi2w#ClipOfTheDay: In this Enoch Pratt Free Library event, Jung Yun reads from her third novel, All the World Can Hold (37 INK), and talks about complicated characters and how she stays focused and motivated through writer’s block in a conversation with Jane Delury. at.pw.org/JungYun02 May 2026 00:00 +0000at://did:plc:a4iylm33rxlrvxcyudwtis2j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mktdmaapfi2w