Congratulations to our 2021 Octavia E. Butler and Worldbuilder Scholars!

Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Recipients This summer, the Carl Brandon Society generously donated two full scholarships to Clarion West students. Lue Palmer of Toronto, Canada, and Shakirah Peterson of Los Angeles, California, were each recipients of the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship.  Since 2007, the Carl Brandon Society has donated this scholarship in Octavia’s…

Recommended Reading from Hispanic & Latinx Writers

As we reach the close of Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, we’ve put together the following list of recommended reading by authors of science fiction, fantasy, and horror who are also of Hispanic and Latinx descent. We recognize that the United States’ Hispanic Heritage Month has a history of exclusion and misrepresentation of the Spanish-speaking community,…

Writing Trauma, part 1

Imposter syndrome. Doomscrolling. Adult attention deficit disorder. These are just a few of the mental and emotional experiences that make our stories feel like failures and rob us of the joy of our craft. So how do we deal with them? During our 2021 Write-a-thon, we spoke with three writers who are also a chaplain,…

Announcing the Instructors for Clarion West’s 2022 In-Person Summer Workshop

Clarion West is thrilled to announce our plan to return to an in-person workshop for 2022! With excitement, we announce the instructors for our 2022 Six-Week Summer Workshop: Week 1 – Susan Palwick Week 2 – P. Djèlí Clark Week 3 – Fonda Lee Week 4 – Tobias S. Buckell Week 5 – Bill Campbell Week 6 – Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane…

Week 5 Write-a-thon Partner: Two Hour Transport!

We hope you’re enjoying Week 5 of our annual Write-a-thon. Sheree Renée Thomas, a Clarion West alumna herself, is teaching the six-week workshop participants. We all just heard that her collection NINE BAR BLUES is up for a World Fantasy Award, alongside several other Clarion West alumni and instructors!  We’ve moved our two-session workshop,  How…

Announcing our Week 4 Write-a-thon partner, FIYAHCON

It’s Week 4 of the Clarion West Write-a-thon, and we’re proud to partner with FIYAHCON!  On Monday, workshop administrator Rashida J. Smith moderated the live panel, Uncovering Cover Art, which was recorded and is now viewable at this link. We’re running writing and critique workshops for teens, led by K. Tempest Bradford, Alethea Kontis, and…

Partnering with Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Do you know about SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America? SFWA not only hosts the Nebula Awards and conference, they also provide grants to organizations and support to writers in our genres, including mentorships and guidance through the publishing process. SFWA officers and leaders have included several Clarion West graduates and instructors…

Remembering Bob Brown

Remembering Bob Brown

“I’m always happiest when I’m killing things.”  That’s how Bob Brown captioned the accompanying photo when he gave it to me. I don’t think this self-appraisal of his was completely accurate.  At least, it wasn’t just killing things—fish, to be specific—that made him happy.  Bob adored fishing, yes, and he went on at least two…

Clarion West Selected As Amazon Literary Partnership 2021 Grant Recipient

Grant to Be Earmarked for Evolving Workshop Culture to Inspire Equity, Empowerment, and Innovation in Writing Workshops. Seattle, WA June 3, 2021 — The Amazon Literary Partnership today announced that Clarion West received a grant to support its program and operations. Clarion West is among the list of 80 Amazon Literary Partnership Grant Recipients for…