Electric Literature to Offer Scholarships to Catapult Writing Courses

Update, Nov. 15: We are now accepting scholarship applications! Apply here.

Exciting news! Electric Literature has received support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs to offer full scholarships to a series of writing workshops and masterclasses co-presented with Catapult. New York city-based writers of all ages and experience levels are invited to apply through a simple application process, which will open on November 15th.

“Most writers struggle to fit a regular writing practice into their busy lives, especially in New York City, where time comes at a high cost,” said Electric Literature’s Executive Director Halimah Marcus. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer financial support in addition to the incredible community and instruction these classes provide.” Electric Literature is equally grateful that Catapult will be matching the DCA’s support, which will make it possible for the literary non-profit to provide the abundance of 20 scholarships.

Although Catapult is a relatively new company, it has undoubtedly secured its foothold in the New York writing scene. “Over four hundred emerging writers have taken our classes,” said Julie Buntin, Catapult’s Director of Writing Programs. “They’ve gone on to top-ranked MFA programs, won fellowships and awards, signed with agents, published books. We believe that a strong literary community, one that matches emerging writers with engaged mentors, can change an artist’s life.” Their success provides all the more reason for EL’s enthusiasm about the impact these scholarships will have. (It also doesn’t hurt that The Village Voice recently included Catapult classes in their annual Best of NYC Culture list.)

All scholarships will be offered for the first half of 2017. For more information about how to apply, visit: https://electricliterature.submittable.com

The full press release is below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Electric Literature to Offer Writing Scholarships
with Support of Catapult and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

New York, NY, November 7, 2016: Electric Literature has received support from the New York City Department of Cultural affairs to offer full scholarships to a series of writing workshops and masterclasses co-presented with Catapult. These scholarships offer the opportunity to writers of all economic strata in New York City to hone their craft, develop their individual voice, and make their stories heard.

Catapult will match the DCA’s support, allowing Electric Literature to offer over 20 full scholarships to students in the NYC area. “Most writers struggle to fit a regular writing practice into their busy lives, especially in New York City, where time comes at a high cost,” said Electric Literature’s Executive Director Halimah Marcus. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer financial support in addition to the incredible community and instruction these classes provide.”

Catapult began offering classes in their Manhattan offices in April 2015, and has since grown the program to over 60 classes per year. Workshops topics relate to the instructor’s unique skillset and literary sensibility, and single-day masterclasses offer students the chance to dive into subjects like narrative voice and story structure. These craft-oriented classes are offered alongside courses designed to help emerging writers navigate the publishing industry. Past instructors include Mary Gaitskill, Angela Flournoy, and James Hannaham, in addition to professional editors and literary agents.

“Over four hundred emerging writers have taken our classes,” said Julie Buntin, Catapult’s Director of Writing Programs. “They’ve gone on to top-ranked MFA programs, won fellowships and awards, signed with agents, published books. We believe that a strong literary community, one that matches emerging writers with engaged mentors, can change an artist’s life.” The Village Voice recently included Catapult classes in their annual Best of NYC Culture list.

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of both need and merit through a simple application process open on November 15, and will be available for 6 to 8 week writing workshops as well as single-day master classes. One scholarship will be available for a 12-week novel-writing course, in which students will produce a complete novel draft.

For more information about how to apply, visit: https://electricliterature.submittable.com

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