UMF announces special edition online Longfellow Young Writers Workshop on nature and resilience

FARMINGTON, ME  (May 21, 2020)—The University of Maine at Farmington and the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing are pleased to announce a special online edition of the Longfellow Young Writers Workshop this summer,  July 27-31.

Young writer inspired by nature during previous UMF Longfellow Writers WorkshopUMF Longfellow Young Writers Workshop provides the opportunity for gifted high school writers to hone their craft.


For ten years, the Longfellow Young Writers workshop has nurtured young writers from Maine and around the country. Students work with supportive faculty from the BFA program in Creative Writing to hone their craft, challenge their assumptions and broaden their literary landscape. This year the tradition continues online with a series of writing courses around the special theme of nature and resilience.

Faculty include: Éireann Lorsung, NEA fellow and multigenre writer; Gretchen Legler, two-time Pushcart Prize winner and essayist; Amy Neswald,  screenwriter and New American Fiction Prize winner; and Shana Youngdahl, poet and young adult author whose debut novel was noted as a Best Book of 2019 for Teens by the New York Public Library.

In addition, to live zoom conferencing and daily classes with faculty, students will have access to a variety of online instructor-created and curated resources to foster creative community, support literary development, and give them a taste of Farmington’s exceptional BFA program in Creative Writing.

This program is designed for high school students entering their sophomore through senior years and is limited to 16 participants who are ready to connect with a staff of experienced authors and virtually meet peers serious about writing.

Registration is first-come, first serve. More information, application and link to a payment page are available at www2.umf.maine.edu/creativewriting/longfellow/

The cost of the program is $250, and UMF is pleased to offer two scholarships to female Maine residents in collaboration with the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance at the Ilgenfritz Scholarship Fund. To be considered for a scholarship, a double-spaced creative writing sample no more than five pages and 500-word statement of need should be emailed to shana.youngdahl@maine.edu. Word documents and PDF attachments only.

The scholarship deadline is June 15, 2020.

More on the University of Maine at Farmington

A nationally-recognized liberal arts college known for its commitment to student success, UMF provides a challenging yet supportive environment to prepare students for both careers and further study. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF is a welcoming, close-knit academic community that prepares students for engaged citizenship, enriching professional careers and an enduring love of learning.

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Media Contact: Shana Youngdahl, Director of Longfellow Mountains Young Writers Workshop, shana.youngdahl@maine.edu.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
Link to image on WordPress: https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2020/05/RP190-065.jpg
Photo Caption: UMF Longfellow Young Writers Workshop provides the opportunity for gifted high school writers to hone their craft.
Photo Credit: UMF Image

April Mulherin
UMF Associate Director for Media Relations
office: 207-778-7081
cell: 207-491-0064
april.mulherin@maine.edu

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