Programs
Ashley Bryan Fellows
In honor of award-winning writer and artist Ashley Bryan’s life, MWPA offers the Ashley Bryan Fellowships, which support emerging Maine writers who are Black, people of color, and/or members of one of the Wabanaki Nations or other Native peoples. Bryan Fellows receive free membership, workshops and other support
Community Word
Community Word workshops empower participants to learn how to tell their stories effectively, building confidence and literary skills while also bringing those stories into the public sphere, building more empathy in our community through the airing of such stories.
Give & Take
A members-only benefit that connects writers of all levels who are interested in working with a partner to have their work critiqued and to critique others’ work.
Maine Chapbook Series
An annual contest open to emerging writers. Rotating between fiction, poetry, and nonfiction and judged by a distinguished author from outside of Maine, the winner will have their work published by the MWPA.
PITCH
MWPA’s PITCH offers writers the chance to pitch their manuscripts or book proposals to agents from leading literary agencies.
Read & Loved
Read & Loved spotlights hidden gems by Maine writers. Anyone in Maine’s reading and writing communities is welcome to submit a piece to be featured.
Artword
In celebration of the long, intimate relationship between poetry and visual art, MWPA and Portland Museum of Art proudly present ARTWORD. Ekphrastic poems respond to—address, confront, inhabit—works of visual art.
Gather
MWPA’s GATHER encourages members (and their friends!) to meet and mingle with fellow members in one of several locations around Maine for casual camaraderie and conversation.
Lore
LORE is a space for the BIPOC community to connect, create, and collaborate.
Maine Poet Laureate
The Maine Poet Laureate is an honorary position held for five years.
Poems from Here
Poems from Here is a weekly poetry program on Maine Public Radio. The program features the work of local Maine poets.
Stories That Move Me
Stories That Move Me is an authentic, dynamic, and broadly inclusive night of storytelling, a reminder of what makes us human.