April 15, 1957 – January 5, 2026 Every summer from 2011 through 2024, uninterrupted except for the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lile Gowen hosted a party in celebration of a Clarion West instructor during the Six-Week Workshop. More than just a party, Lile always catered with delicious food and drinks, and an opportunity to see Seattle from…
Novel Writing Workshop Our sincerest thanks to the amazing Samit Basu for kicking off our first Novel Writing Workshop and working with our first class of novelers! Clarion West will be opening applications for our second nine-month virtual workshop in October! The workshop will run from March – November 2026. Our second Novel Writing Workshop will…
With heartfelt gratitude, we thank all of the businesses and organizations that have sponsored Steamy in Seattle 2025! Our sponsors help ensure fundraising success while reaching an inclusive community of writers from Seattle and all over the world. Interstellar Sponsor Milky Way Sponsor In-Kind and Supporting Sponsors Benjamin Sands Reads Canlis Restaurant Cassie Alexander Books…
Hagen Insurance Partners has sponsored Steamy in Seattle each year that we’ve held it! I reached out to Cindy Hagen, the owner, to see why she’s supporting Clarion West. Marnee Chua: Tell us all about Hagen Insurance Partners, who do you work with? Cindy Hagen: I’m an independent insurance agent specializing in health insurance for…
Meet Sejuti Bala Each year, Clarion West works with a new artist to create an image that is used across the Write-a-thon, on our website, and for the Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy reading series poster. The poster illustration is custom designed by the artist with their personal interpretation of speculative fiction. In 2025,…
In December, Clarion West announced the search for our new Development Director thanks to a three-year grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Our board and staff are pleased to announce that we’ve hired L.D. Lewis for the position! L. D. Lewis (she/her) is an editor and Shirley Jackson award-nominated author. Many folks in our…
Clarion West is pleased to announce that Vonda N. McIntyre’s final novel, THE CURVE OF THE WORLD, will be published by Aqueduct Press. Six years after McIntyre’s passing, this amazing story can finally be told. The Curve of The World explores an alternate Minoan civilization and was completed shortly before McIntyre’s death in 2019. Vonda…
Important dates, what to expect, and exciting changes for our summer programs! We’ve been making plans to help you focus on your writing, find community easier, and join us for more programs! ====Our popular Flash Fiction Groups are back June 8 – July 3, 2025!====Are you looking to bring a more personalized and dynamic writing…
Clarion West is seeking a program intern for the annual Write-a-thon this summer. The Write-a-thon is our largest annual fundraiser and runs concurrently with our flagship six-week writing workshop. The Write-a-thon provides opportunities for writers to set and reach writing goals and ask for support from friends, family members, and the community through donations. Write-a-thon…
Clarion West recently received a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Washington, for the organization’s first Development Director. This is a full-time, hybrid position based in Seattle, WA. The position has been filled and we are excited to announce it soon. This grant will provide the capacity to hire our new development position…
Writing can be a lonely pursuit. Clarion West provides community and world-class instruction to early-career writers of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror; and we need your help now more than ever. DONATE TODAY! Any amount is valuable; and a recurring monthly gift provides us with stability in what promises to be an interesting future.