(LOS ANGELES) — Starting Nov. 17, 13 writers and poets selected for PEN America’s Emerging Voices weeklong workshop will begin to develop manuscripts based on a current writing project, working with peers and instructors.
The new Emerging Voices Workshop Cohort includes Monee Fields-White, Hannah Horcha, DeLana Nicole Orr, Patricia Kelly Yeo, Jones Jones, Vikesh Kapoor, Jessica Rowshandel, Julian Simiński, Julia Childs Heyl, Heidi Lepe, Jean Trinh Barger, Jasmine Desiree Ward, and Abrigul Safar. More information on the November cohort can be found here
In addition to working on their writing projects, the group will hear from visiting authors, editors, publicists, and literary agents. They will present their works-in-progress at a celebratory public reading on the final day of the workshop on Nov. 21. Register at this page to attend the reading.
This session’s facilitators include: Stephanie Griest (creative nonfiction), Claire Standford (fiction), and Shonda Buchanan (poetry). The workshop is managed by Bianca Darby-Matteoda and assisted by Lane Michael Stanley, an alum of the program.
This application cycle, participants were selected from a highly competitive pool, the third consecutive installment of in-person programming for Los Angeles area writers, which began in summer 2024.
The craft-intensive workshop is an outgrowth of the Emerging Voices Fellowship, and aims to diversify the publishing and entertainment industries, fostering creativity and free expression for all, which is at the core of PEN America’s mission.
The workshop is supported by the Unlikely Collaborators Foundation, a nonprofit founded and chaired by Elizabeth R. Koch. The organization is dedicated to fostering transformative storytelling, developing human connection, and resolving internal conflict. Unlikely Collaborators’ perspective is that external conflict is the direct result of unconscious, unresolved internal conflict inside each and every one of us. Founded on the belief that the way we perceive the world is highly subjective, Unlikely Collaborators supports projects that challenge assumptions, spark meaningful dialogue, and invite humans into deeper self-awareness in community.
Central to this mission is the groundbreaking Perception BoxTMframework developed by Koch. More than just a metaphor, it represents the often unseen matrix of biases, beliefs, and personal narratives that influence how we interpret reality. Rooted in cognitive science and psychological research, this framework illustrates how each person’s unique mental model shapes their understanding of the world, often limiting their ability to connect with new perspectives and ideas. By investigating and untangling our Perception Box beliefs, individuals and communities can unlock compassion, creativity, and new ways of thinking.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057