Afternoon Creative Writing Seminar

Refining the Nonfiction Manuscript
Gribner Peer Review Workshop

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
(July 6 to July 17 only--first two weeks of program)
 
Sue Ribner & Ron Grant

This peer review workshop, offered in Prague for the fourth year, will be a gathering of nonfiction writers who have made significant progress on a memoir or a collection of essays. One unique element of this workshop is that the entire manuscript-in-progress may be evaluated.

This will be a genuine peer workshop with members having an equal voice in determining the direction of their own feedback sessions. The discussion will be based on careful and soulful readings of one another’s work, and will be conducted over six, four-hour sessions, centering on such topics as theme, structure, voice, and other issues related to the process of developing and preparing a manuscript for submission.

Class size is limited to 10 (2 groups of 5), affording each writer’s work significant time for review. All manuscripts will be disseminated by e-mail in the weeks preceding our arrival in Prague, so participants will have time to read and prepare comments. In addition, there will be classroom visits by Prague Summer Program faculty, who will speak about craft and the how-tos of getting published.

Workshop facilitators Sue Ribner, MFA and Ron Grant, MD, MFA, founders of Gribner Nonfiction Manuscript Workshops (www.gribner.com ), will manage the workshop in association with Professor Richard Katrovas, the Prague Summer Program founding director. They will choose the participants and generally ensure that the quality of the writing meets a high level of proficiency.

Participants in the workshop pay the Prague Summer Program’s two-week, one-course enrollment rate of $2,250, and are eligible for John Woods Scholarships (see Scholarships in the navigation bar at top of page), but not academic credit. They may reserve dorm or hotel housing and are entitled to all PSP benefits and privileges, including the Monday night Czech movie series, the Tuesday morning PSP Lecture Series, evening readings by PSP faculty, weekend excursions, and other special events.

Class size limited to TEN. Apply early. (workshop has filled by February 1 in recent years)

Gribner application deadline: April 15, 2009

PSP Gribner workshop selection process:

Applicants must submit the following materials directly by e-mail to Sue Ribner and Ron Grant at:    This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

1) 15 pages from the manuscript they plan to workshop

2) A short, one-paragraph description of their writing project

3) A short biography that includes your experience with writing classes and workshops.

4) A cover letter that includes their contact information, name, address, phone, e-address.

Upon acceptance into this workshop by Sue and Ron, applicants must complete the PSP online application and pay the $250 deposit to reserve a slot. Full payment of program fees is due by May 15, 2009.