Midwest Writing Center
/OVERVIEW: Midwest Writing Center supports writers, students and others throughout the Midwest with events, contests and projects related to writing and publishing. It prioritizes writers from the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but some programs have a broader reach.
IP TAKE: The Midwest Writing Center is not a grantmaker per se, but writers from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin may find great support here. The center runs retreats, contests and workshops and offers some local publishing opportunities. This is an accessible organization, but it events and opportunities change periodically. Email the center to request its newsletter to keep up with changes.
PROFILE: Founded in 1979 by Illinois writers David R. Collins and Evelyn Witter, the Midwest Writing Center is located in Rock Island, Illinois. The organization works to promote “literary programs for adult and youth writers through various workshops and programs.” Its offerings include conferences, internships, workshops, festivals, retreats and contests for writers who live and work in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Opportunities change periodically.
Grants for Creative Writing
The Midwest Writing Center offers a broad range of opportunities for writers at every stage of their careers.
Great River Writers Retreat offers a one week residency at the Benet House Retreat Center in Rock Island, Illinois. Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, project description, 10-page writing sample, and proof of IL, AI, MN, or WI residence. An application fee of $15 is required for application.
The annual Iron Pen writing contest asks writers to reply to a prompt within a 24-hour time frame. Writers need not reside in the center’s four-state area; applications of fiction, nonfiction and poetry are accepted from writers anywhere in the U.S. for a fee of $10 per entry. First, second and third place winners in each category receive a $50 prize, a medal and are invited to read at the contest’s awards ceremony.
The Young Emerging Writers Summer Internship Program offers young writers between the ages of 15 and 19 the opportunity to “compose, edit, and release” a volume of the center’s Atlas Literary Magazine. Prospective applicants may email the center for information about the application process at mwc@mwcqc.org.
The Foster-Stahl Chapbook Series “looks to publish outstanding short collections of poetry, prose (fiction or nonfiction), or hybrid work from poets and writers living in the upper Midwest region.” The program accepts submissions from writers residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin for an entry fee of $10. Detailed guidelines for submission are provided on the program page, and submissions are typically due at the end of the calendar year.
The Midwest Writing Center also hosts events and workshops of interest to local writers including:
The Young Emerging Writers Camp for students between the ages of 11 and 14;
The Write More Light Virtual Write-Ins workshop series;
The Spectra Reading Series; and
Important Grant Details:
With the exception of the $50 prize associated with the Iron Pen writing contest, the Midwest Writing Center does not award grants.
The center hosts and produces a broad range of events and programs for writers, students, readers and others.
Participation in these events may require a small fee.
Details and application guidelines, where applicable, are provided on each program page.
Opportunities change periodically at the center. Interested parties may email the center at mwc@mwcqc.org to be added to its email newsletter list.
Submit general inquiries to the Midwest Writing Center via email at mwc@mwcqc.org or telephone at 309-732-7330.
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