Catherine Morrison Golden '55 P'80 Undergraduate Writing Fellowships

The Catherine Morrison Golden '55 P'80 Undergraduate Writing Fellowship allows a select group of undergraduate writers working in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction the opportunity to further their study of craft with a 10-day residency at Bennington’s MFA in Writing program.

We are pleased to announce the eleventh year of the Catherine Morrison Golden '55 P'80 Undergraduate Writing Fellowships. This program allows a select group of undergraduate writers working in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction the opportunity to further their study of craft with a 10-day residency at the Bennington Writing Seminars MFA program. In addition to the full schedule of readings, lectures, seminars, and master classes, the Undergraduate Writing Fellows will have an individual manuscript conference with a member of the MFA program’s distinguished faculty. This year’s fellowships will be awarded for the Summer 2024 MFA residency, from June 6 to 16. Applications are due on Monday, April 8.

A minimum of three fellowships will be awarded in 2024, one in each genre. The fellowship covers full participation in the MFA residency on campus, including room and board (but no travel). Students do not earn academic credit for their participation in the fellowship program—it is, instead, a special opportunity for Bennington students to enter into a larger community of writers and explore dimensions of the writing life.

Application guidelines:

  • To apply for the Undergraduate Writing Fellowships in 2024, you must be a current junior or a senior at Bennington College.
  • You must submit (1) a cover letter stating your name, year in school, and a description of what you are submitting for consideration; (2) 10 pages of poetry if you are applying for a fellowship in poetry; 15–20 pages of fiction if you are applying for a fellowship in fiction; 15–20 pages of literary nonfiction (memoir, personal essay, etc.) if you are applying for a fellowship in nonfiction.
  • Applications must be sent by email to Program Coordinator Jessica Lynn by 5:00 pm on Monday, April 8. No late applications will be accepted. Manuscripts should be clearly marked with the author’s name and title(s) of the work, double-spaced, and with pages numbered.

The recipients of the fellowship will be announced on Friday, May 3.

Questions?

For more information on the Catherine Morrison Golden '55 P'80 Undergraduate Writing Fellowship program or questions on how to apply, please contact faculty coordinator Benjamin Anastas.​​​​​​