FICTION & POETRY @ UTV
NARRATIVA & POESIA @UTV
Fiction and poetry are the lifeblood of Under the Volcano. Seekers of story and argonauts of the imagination, our participants may be published or unpublished, “emerging” or seasoned, speculative or realistic, but all are deeply committed to honing their work in a community of accomplished peers. We invite applications from writers across the Americas and beyond—in both English and Spanish—who are ready to take their voice to the next level.
Our Creative Writing Program is unique in several ways:
- Diverse, bilingual community;
- Creative writers and journalists share meals, ideas and work-in-progress;
- Twice weekly masterclasses offer clear guidance throughout the residency;
- Agent talks and weekly open mics;
- Ample time to write and revise;
- Full or partial financial support for qualified applicants (talent + need);
- Writers of color especially encouraged to apply.
Who’s Who in creative writing
Our masterclasses are led by master writers from across the English- and Spanish-speaking worlds. Current and past faculty include:
Founding faculty: Maureen Howard & Grace Paley
Community of the Imagination
BRINGING WRITERS & READERS TOGETHER ACROSS BORDERS
Every year, Under the Volcano presents a series of live curated conversations with leading poets, novelists, journalists and scientists, designed to inspire our participants to move their ideas onto a bigger canvas. These events, open to a wider public, allow us to transcend the limits of geography and to make our mission ever more inclusive.
Invocation
One of the silver linings of the pandemic: four extraordinary poets giving the invocation to our virtual Community of the Imagination in 2021.
CAROLYN FORCHÉ
RITA DOVE
ILYA KAMINSKY
CYRUS CASSELLS
Full Fellowships for Poets & Writers
The Grace Paley
Fellowship
is awarded to a woman poet or fiction writer of any age whose work Grace Paley would have encouraged and includes childcare if needed.
The Sandra Cisneros
Fellowship
was established by friends and admirers of pioneering writer Sandra Cisneros to recognize an English-language Latinx creative writer of outstanding literary promise and leadership ability.
The Imagination
Unbound Fellowship
recognizes a fiction writer whose work opens new worlds. This fellowship is for an English-language writer of speculative or experimental writing and has no age limits.
The Words of Witness
Fellowship
is awarded to a US-based writer of literary non-fiction whose work addresses issues of social justice, racism or the fate of the earth in an innovative way.
Voz Viva
Reconoce a un/a narrador/a de lengua hispana de destacado talento literario.
La Página Dorada
Esta beca se otorga a una escritora mexicana menor de 40 años con un libro en puerta (novela o colección de cuentos) para incentivarla a terminar su proyecto mediante la participación en el taller de narrativa en español o en la Consulta de Manuscritos (Manuscript Seminar)
BLACK WRITERS MATTER FUND
This fund was established to ensure greater participation and visibility of Black writers as we work to deepen our response to systemic racism. Support up to full tuition is available for Black writers who are accepted into any of our master classes.
Selected Alumni Books
Our alumni are publishing non-stop and we couldn’t be more proud. Hardly a week goes by without word of another novel, short story collection, memoir or poetry chapbook by one of our alumni. Many of the titles on this page began at Under the Volcano and grew by leaps and bounds before our eyes.
