2027 NON-FICTION WRITING

NINE-MONTH WORKSHOP

CREATIVE NON-FICTION | IN-PERSON, DURHAM, NC

Facilitated by Anna Broadwell-Gulde

Night School Bar is pleased to announce that applications are now open for a nine-month non-fiction writing workshop:

The 2027 Non-Fiction Writing 9-Month Workshop will run from January-September, 2027. We are accepting applications until November 30, 2026, and will finalize the cohort — maximum of 8 people per workshop — by December 12, 2026.

APPLY HERE

Overview:

Do you write nonfiction but crave community? Do you have an idea for a memoir or hybrid work but need more structure or motivation? Join our 9-month nonfiction writing workshop for support and inspiration! Participants at any stage of development are welcome, as are participants working in any non-fiction form, including essay, memoir, prose poetry, historical re-interpretation, intertextual writing, and autotheory. We particularly encourage submissions for non-fiction writing that blends or transcends genre, and/or that experiments with form, including use of text and image and multimedia.

Structure:

3-hour Saturday workshop meetings: 9 in-person workshop meetings January-September 2 pm-5 pm EST at Night School Bar in Durham, NC. (Jan 9, Feb 13, Mar 13, April 10, May 8, June 12, NO July, August 14, Sept 4 & 18).
Weekend intensive retreat: August 14
Two final full manuscript workshops: Sept. 4 & 18
Write and/or workshop up to 150 pages over the course of the year
Individual meetings (one-on-one instructor meetings): Summer, dates and times TBD
1-hour accountability and generative meetings: First Thursdays at NSB (prompts will be provided in advance)
Two directed reading and craft discussions
No meetings in July; you will submit and receive written feedback from colleagues

Each participant will be offered the opportunity to share and workshop ~15 pages of work eight times over the course of the year, to be discussed with the entire group or in smaller work groups. Each person will actively share supportive feedback with other classmates monthly. You will be expected to read up to 90 pages per month, and you will be able to share up to 60 pages of completed and revised work in our September meetings. In previous years, many students completed full manuscripts, while others developed and refined shorter sections. Previous workshop participants have seen their work published by a variety of journals and presses.

**Monthly submissions will be due one full week before the meeting date. Participants should expect to spend 3-6 hours per month reading other participants’ work, in addition to their own writing time. Each month, you should read the other participants’ work carefully and be prepared to discuss each writer’s work in detail. You may occasionally be asked to provide written feedback.

Tuition

Tuition for the entire yearlong program is: $1650. We will be able to offer one half scholarship per section ($825 total tuition payment). A $200 non-refundable deposit will be due by December 20 for accepted students (except scholarship students, for whom a $100 deposit will be required). The remaining tuition will be due by January 10. Students may opt to check-out with PayPal if they would like to pay in installments.

Application Questions

1. What do you plan to work on over the course of the workshop? (e.g. essays, memoir, prose poetry, autotheory, para-academic work, revising existing manuscript, etc.) Please briefly describe what you have in mind.

2. What genre(s) or style are you working in? Which writers do you admire and want to emulate?

3. Do you already have work-in-progress? If so, where are you in the process?

4. Why do you feel like now is the time to commit to a 9-month program? How will it help you on your writing journey?

5. Please list any previous writing workshop experience you have.

6. Include a short writing sample (maximum 10 pages) from your work-in-progress or previous related work to give your instructors an understanding of your vision for your project and to help them prepare methods of support.

7. Tuition for this yearlong program is: $1650. We currently have funds to offer one half scholarship. Will you need a scholarship to participate in this course? Y/N

Apply for the 2027 Non-Fiction Writing 9-Month Workshop