Creative Writing Institute at The American University of Paris this Summer

The Summer Creative Writing Institute offers students opportunities to write and share poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction under the guidance of a highly accomplished faculty member. 

Visiting students enrolled in the Summer Creative Writing Institute select a single writing workshop in Poetry, Fiction, or Creative Nonfiction. The three creative writing workshops are designed to help students to read their own work objectively, develop a critical vocabulary, and work deeply on issues of craft. Workshops meet three and a half hours per day, four days a week, allowing three-day weekends for writing, travel, and tourism. 

One evening per week, students will attend readings and question-and-answer sessions with inspiring authors. The event evenings also unite the full group of creative writing students to enjoy informal discussion and refreshments.

During the day, students benefit from the University’s library, common spaces, student café and, of course, the richness of the surrounding 7th arrondissement. Bordered by the Seine to the north, the Eiffel Tower to the west, and Les Invalides to the east, the septième is among the most enchanting and elegant of Paris neighborhoods, offering a rich array of restaurants, cafés, stores, and public spaces that, in the height of summer, show Paris at its best.

Additionally, this year we are pleased to offer three competitive travel stipends of up to €500 each to outstanding Creative Writing Institute students. To be considered, in addition to your completed summer application, please submit the following supplemental materials via email to [email protected]:

•     A sample of your creative writing: for fiction and nonfiction writers please include between 5 and 10 pages of your work, and for poets, between 3 and 5 poems     
•    A paragraph explaining how this three-week intensive course in Paris might help you develop as a writer

All students who wish to be considered for the travel stipends must submit their applications by April 15, 2025. Winners will be announced in early May.

Travel stipends must be used for legitimate travel expenses that students incur in reaching Paris and will be disbursed only after students have completed their travel. Travel stipend recipients must retain and furnish all original receipts, boarding passes, train tickets, etc for their stipend to be processed.