QWF’s Writers in the Community program pairs small groups of young people with a professional writer or literary performance artist who can teach them and, more important, motivate them, to use language to express themselves in productive ways. In each project, a writer-facilitator works with a small group for 10 weeks, teaching them language tools, giving them writing prompts, and ultimately, boosting their self-confidence by showing them that they are capable of producing literary work of value.
Recent projects
Meet the writer-facilitators
April Ford
For more than 15 years, April has helped at-risk youth, college students, adult and non-traditional learners explore their passions and talents for creative expression. She’s author of The Poor Children: Stories (SFWP, 2015) and Death Is a Side-Effect: Poems (Frog Hollow Press, 2019). Her debut novel, Carousel, is forthcoming in Spring 2020 with Inanna Publications. April lives in Montreal and telecommutes as Associate Publisher of SFK Press, an independent publisher in Atlanta, Georgia.
Learn more about April: aprilfordauthor.com.
I can’t imagine a greater example of success than when during our launch one student, almost thinking aloud, asked me how he could continue to write and publish his work while he was in trade school next year. He is interested in writing and wants to continue to pursue it; he clearly is benefitting and getting the most out of these workshops. He even read a poem in front of the school during their annual Christmas party. If a student makes the choice to continue his education that is success.
writer-facilitator
Program sponsors
We would also like to express our gratitude to the following sponsors, without whom the Writers in the Community program would not be possible
