Between the lines in USA: All expenses are paid for the participants.
Since 2008, Between the Lines (BTL) has hosted young writers at the University of Iowa for a cultural exchange program that focuses on the art and craft of creative writing. Participants, aged 15-18, come together in Iowa City for an intensive two-week session. During the session, they live in campus dorms and spend their days in creative writing workshops and global literature seminars designed to broaden their literary horizons and deepen their empathy for and understanding of one another’s identities and stories.
We want applicants who are passionate about creative writing. In the writing samples we want to see what best represents you as a writer today. Given our belief that in order to write, you have to read, we expect you to be an avid reader as well. This doesn’t mean that you have to have straight As, or that you have to be able to quote classic literature at will. Read with your heart open and your mind curious.
You must have a passport at time of application. Students must be between 15-18 years old to participate in BTL.
Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Uzbekistan
The application process is different depending on where you live. International applicants apply through the Cultural Affairs Office at the U.S./American Embassy in their country. Embassy deadlines vary, so contact them sooner rather than later.
The U.S. Embassy in your home country must first agree to nominate you, and then will submit an application for you. You will need to provide them with the materials outlined below. These include your original creative writing in English, your responses to the two written prompts, and a statement of purpose. Your prepared documents must be uploaded as attachments through the application form. You can find the application form from the website.
The deadline for application, through the U.S. Embassy in your home country, may be sooner. Check with your embassy as soon as possible. For USA students the deadline is around April 20.
Tuition for American students accepted to BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience is $1,800. This includes room and board, materials, instructor fees, printing and photocopying, and van transportation during the program.