by the Clarion West Workshop Team 2020 challenged all of us in ways we never expected. At Clarion West, this meant trying different approaches and making new connections. In April, One-Day Workshop administrator Tegan Moore (CW ’15) pivoted on a dime to pull together 43 free online classes. We followed this in May with another…
by Marnee Chua, Executive Director As we approach the end of this year, I am pleased to share that several individuals have joined the Clarion West Board of Directors in 2020. Their addition to the board will help us better position the organization to grow, build capacity, and achieve our plans to make our workshops more…
Since 1984, Clarion West has held workshops with the intention of providing a safe space for writers to imagine new worlds. A place to re-imagine the fundamental issues within our societies, technologies, politics, prejudices, and fears. Consider making a gift to Clarion West on #GivingTuesday during the global day of giving and support our year-end…
Calling all ensigns, pirates, dungeon crawlers, and apprentice witches! Think you have what it takes to outwit the competition? Clarion West is bringing you our second annual Speculative Fiction Trivia Night–now fully online! Support our accessible and low-cost writing workshops by signing up, forming a team or joining one at random, and choosing your ship…
Clarion West seeks to foster a global community of writers and readers. To do so, Clarion West must actively support and make room for a great deal more diversity in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their related works. Our anti-racist efforts include partnering with organizations like Writing the Other, FIYAHCON, and Voodoonauts and focusing on…
Did you know? We offer a limited number of full scholarships for each class to Black and Indigenous writers and writers from other marginalized backgrounds on a first come, first served basis. Please email us at with a one-paragraph statement about your scholarship interest and need. Please include the name of the class to…
That’s a wrap! We’d like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Write-a-thon: every writer, every donor, every instructor, every reader, every audience member. You make Clarion West possible. In a harrowing year that feels like science fiction, you all joined us as we launched a hugely ambitious experiment to go fully online with…
Black Stories Matter What follows is the beginning of a living document listing the Clarion West community’s recommended reading by Black and African American authors. These authors are our alumni, instructors, staff, friends, and heroes, and they include writers of Clarion San Diego as well. While we wish to keep this list focused on science…
Clarion West condemns the ongoing injustice and violence against the Black community in America. Clarion West is not a political organization, yet there is no denying that fiction can be political, especially fiction created out of hope or despair or anger, or that envisions worlds that could have been or ones that are yet to…
Dear Clarion West Community, We have been working closely with this year’s class and instructors on what options are the best for them individually and as a cohort. With everyone’s safety in mind, we have been discussing a range of options. Our final decision is to push back our schedule and hold this year’s class,…