The 2024 APRIL Summer Colloquium

A writing workshop in “Nonfiction Religion”

22-29 June, New York City

For 2024, APRIL’s annual summer colloquium will be re-invented as a week-long writing workshop in creative nonfiction (which may include but is not limited to: memoir, longform reportage, criticism, history). It is intended for two key groups: scholars in the broad field of religious studies who are looking to move outside of academic writing and aim to improve their creative writing skills; and writers who want to find ways of deepening their research and historical understanding of religious topics.

The workshop will be limited to six fellows who will benefit from an intense writing workshop environment. Successful applicants will have a writing project already in progress, and ready to be distributed to others for feedback in daily workshop sessions in June. Fellows will meet as a group each day to discuss each other’s works-in-progress. Other time will be free to write and conduct research. Access to Columbia University’s Butler Library and Union Seminary’s library will be provided.

APRIL is thrilled to announce that Brook Wilensky-Lanford (MFA, Columbia Univ; PhD, UNC; author of Paradise Lust) will serve as the creative director for the Colloquium/Workshop, and will coordinate our time together.

Fellows are named Coolidge Fellows and provided with the following:

• travel to and from New York City;
• room and board for one week in June 2024;
• access to nearby libraries;
• time to share your writing with others.

Applications can be made through this link. Deadline for applications is March 4, 2024, and decisions will be made by 31 March 2024. The fellowships are competitive.