Rachel Moore, our Senior Intern, was awarded a Van Amson Service Fellowship from Columbia University to work at Writopia this summer.

"The fellowship came about in response to a proposal submitted by the Community Impact Student Executive Board in the spring of 2007. Provost Brinkley, on behalf of Columbia University, authorized an annualized fund to promote public interest work and service learning. The fund was named after CI Board Member and CU trustee emeritus George Van Amson."

Congratulations, Rachel! We're so happy to have you here!

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In come the Interns!

Writopia is so lucky to have so many amazing high-school and college interns this summer, many of them former or current Writopia students themselves. Welcome, Interns!

It's going to be a great summer! Read more!

End of Spring

It's getting warmer out and the kids are almost done with school (if they haven't finished already). Spring is drawing to a close and so is Writopia's 2012 spring session. We had a wonderful time with all of our writers this semester and we're looking forward to seeing many of them this summer, at Writopia's Summer Camp.

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Writopia's Random House Scholarship Recipients

WRITOPIA'S RANDOM HOUSE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
$2,500 Sofia Johnson, Literature/Fiction & Drama; “Half Moon”
$1,000--Michael Gellman, Memoir; “Vignettes on Marriage”
$500--Rebecca Hia, Memoir; “The Great Decision”

$500--Nora Miller, Poetry

$500--Angelica Modabber, Poetry

We are so happy that you have won recognition for your honest and powerful writings. XOX Read more!

Writopia's Young Playwrights Win Again

We Won Again! We just received Stephen Songheim's YoungPlaywrights Inc list of the 2012 Best Play! Winners. Congratulations Writopia Playwrights:

ELEMENTARY DIVISION, BEST PLAY (three-way tie for 1st):
Benjamin Oestericher: FIGHTING THE IRISH
Kimberly Rogers: ADOPTING
Gertie-Pearl Zwick-Schachter: HUGO
FINALISTS: Alexandra Frank, WISHING ON A PIG; Sylvie Koenigsberg: 6 LITTLE BRATS
HONORABLE MENTION: AMELIA by Julia Malpass & Lexie Ryan

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION, BEST PLAY:
Hannah Young: COLD TURKEY

HIGH SCHOOL:
Division Finalists
PERFECT by Theresa Byrne
THE DOORMAN MUSES by Kalia Firester
OTHER BETTER PEOPLE by Mack Muldofsky

HONORABLE MENTION:
TOGETHER THEY WERE FROZEN by Charlotte Rauner

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World Science Festival features Writopia

Amazingly fun video of four of our youngest writers telling stories, produced by the World Science Festival...

World Science Festival Video: Tell Me a Story Read more!

Writopians at the Scholastic National Awards Ceremony

June 1

Writopia seniors on stage at Carnegie Hall this weekend collecting the nation's most prestigious writing awards. Congratulations Emma Goldberg, Senior Portfolio Gold Medalist; Rachel Berger, Senior Portfolio Silver Medalist with Distinction; Rory Nora Claire Miller, Senior Portfolio Silver Medalist with Distinction; Angelica Graziano, Senior Portfolio Medalist, Michael Gellman, Senior Portfolio Silver Medalist. Thank you for writing powerful, honest pieces and poetry that have made us all laugh and cry over the last five years. Read more!

Writopia at PS58

May 23

This past school year, Writopia ran an afterschool workshop for students at PS58, culminating in a reading celebration and a published anthology of all the wonderful works produced by these talented young writers.

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Poem In Your Pocket Day

April 26th

In celebration of National Poetry Month, New York CIty hosted the 10th Aniversary Poem In Your Pocket Day. Writopians took part in a poetry reading in Bryant Park that featured hundreds of young writers from all over the city. Read more!

Young Playwrights Festival

May 8-20

What happens when a professional theater company produces 85 plays written by playwrights ages 8-18?
Plays seriously workshopped at Writopia Lab this school year, and the winning plays from nearly 100 outside submissions, will be professionally produced--performed by professional actors and directed by NY’s elite theater professionals--at the 45th Street Theatre and at 59E59 Theaters in May as part of our 2012 Worldwide Plays Festival.

How Did this Amazing Thing Happen?
This is the third year that Writopia Lab has produced a festival of plays. David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Inc., began funding our annual festival last year. Worldwide Pants has again granted us $50,000 to produce our writers' poignant, entertaining, and sometimes hilarious works!
A huge thank you to everyone involved with the production, especially our directors, Dan and Kara. Read more!

NYC Literary Honors

April 23

Congratulations to Writopia superstar Angelica Modabber, who was the only student honored by Mayor Bloomberg at the inaugural NYC Literary Honors, along with Paul Auster, Marie Ponsot, Robert Caro, Roz Chast, and Robert Silvers! Read more!

Writopia Turns 5!

April 16

Writopia celebrated its 5th birthday this April at the JCC in Manhattan. Along with a fundraiser auction to help grant scholarships to current and future Writopians, the event featured Susan Cain, author of the New York Times Bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and performances of excerpts from Writopia students’ work. Several Writopia students were honored with the following awards:
Emma Goldberg -- The Susan Cain Award for Humility, Commitment, and Outstanding Work
Angelica Modabber -- The Susan Cain Award for Humility, Commitment, and Outstanding Work
Rachel Berger --  Changing Worlds with Personal, Outstanding Work
Nora Miller -- Changing Worlds with Poetry Award
Katie Hartman -- Community, Commitment, and Mentorship Award (for running workshops for inner city youth)
Rebecca Teich -- Community, Commitment, and Mentorship Award (for inspiring and guiding Writopia's youngest writers throughout the entire year) Read more!