International Writing Program (IWP) Between the Lines 2022: Peace and the Writing Experience

posted on: Feb 6, 2022

SOURCE: U.S. EMBASSY IN LEBANON

The U.S Embassy in Lebanon is pleased to announce the International Writing Program titled “Between the Lines: Peace and the Writing Experience”, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department. 

BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience will bring together 30 international and 14 U.S.-based students, ages 15-18, for two weeks of intensive BTL summer programming hosted online by the International Writing Program (IWP) and the University of Iowa (UI). All programming is conducted in English and includes creative writing workshops, world literature seminars, literary readings and Q&As with visiting authors, youth and mentor conversation sessions, social opportunities for cultural exchange, as well as group and individual writing assignments outside of class. The virtual program is free of cost for all selected participants. 

This year’s version of Between the Lines (BTL) will bring together participants from Afghanistan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine. 

Candidates must be between the ages of 15 and 18 as of July 15, 2022, proficient in English (reading, writing, and speaking), and able to participate effectively in online intercultural exchange. 

All participants must have the ability to read, write, and converse in English. During the two-week program, students will take a writing-focused literature seminar—in English—with their American and international counterparts. They will also participate in a writing workshop with the BTL faculty. Active discussion is an essential element of instruction. 

All program activities will be in English and will include synchronized writing workshops, world literature seminars, special literary events, and social opportunities for cultural exchange, as well as group and individual writing assignments outside of class. During the program, participants will document and share their daily experiences on BTL’s Instagram @btl_uiiwp. Upon the completion of the program, each participant will receive a certificate (PDF) and IWP will digitally publish the students’ writing as an anthology.  BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience 2022 alumni may also be eligible to apply for BTL follow-on microgrants. These grants will support new work and projects that promote creative writing and literature, youth leadership skills, professional development, community engagement, and community transformation through collaborative literary projects.  The overarching goal of the BTL program activities is to empower young writers to address social issues such as inclusion, women’s empowerment, disability awareness and equality through their creative work. 

Please note that IWP will host an informational session on February 20, 2022, for potential applicants to learn more about this year’s virtual BTL program.  The online meeting will be an opportunity for young writers who are interested in the BTL program to join IWP’s BTL staff and BTL alumni for a presentation about BTL and a Q&A about the program and the application/nomination process:  

Between the Lines 2022 Information and Q&A Session  
When: Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, 10 – 11 AM Central Time
Register in advance:  https://uiowa.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpde-przMqHNMkl6USWmHRux1NGRbz6b6J  

The application package includes:

1. Completed application
2. A writing sample of 6–8 pages of prose (creative fiction/nonfiction) and/or poetry in English. Critical essays (book reports, academic reports, and so forth) will not be accepted. Document types accepted: PDF, DOC, DOCX. All writing samples must be sent in 12-point font, double-spaced, and have one-inch margins. Poems may be single-spaced with multiple poems per page.
3. An essay, in English, of no more than three pages in response to the following prompt: “In our daily lives, we navigate many different roles—student, sibling, daughter, son, peer. We negotiate family, friends, religious groups, as well as class, gender, race, country, and so many other groups, adjusting the way we speak or behave to fit the demands of each encounter. As we move through the day, we work through how and why we occupy each particular role. What do you consider to be the strongest, most central aspects of your identity? What does it mean to you to be a member of (or seen as a member of) a particular group? In what way does your identity influence you as a creative writer and reader?”
4. A brief response (no longer than 300 words) to the following: “An essential component of Between the Lines is encouraging participants to explore the unfamiliar and unknown in a safe and supportive setting. Please describe a time in your past when you had to engage with a new situation, person, or idea that initially felt uncomfortable or strange. How did you proceed? If you had the chance, what would you do the same, and what would you do differently?”
5. Statement of purpose describing why creative writing is important in your life, and what you hope to learn through our BTL program. (250 words maximum).
6. All participants must have the ability to read, write, and converse in English.

Please note: The following formatting standards are required for all submitted documents. If not followed, applications may not be considered.  Any evidence of plagiarism, Handwritten application, or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Format: Typed (Microsoft Word or PDF file)
Font type: Times New Roman
Font size:  12 point
Spacing: Double (poems may be single-spaced with multiple poems per page)
Margins: 1 inch on all sides
Header: Include your name, name of the piece (creative work, Prompt #1, Prompt #2, Statement of Purpose)
Footer: Include page numbers
Citations: If using other people’s words/content, always give them credit

Please send an application package in one email with a subject line “Student 2022 Between the Lines – [ Your Last Name].” to BeirutPD@state.gov, and complete participant information and include it in the email: 

1. Nominee’s full name (as it appears on his/her passport);
2. City and country of birth (as it appears on his/her passport);
3. Nominee’s gender (as it appears on his/her passport);
4. City of residency;
5. Country of residency;
6. Country of citizenship;
7. Nominee’s date of birth;
8. Nominee’s email address.

Frequently asked questions – https://iwp.uiowa.edu/programs/between-the-lines/faq-international

The submission deadline for the applications is on March 01, 2022.
Virtual Program dates: July 15 – July 30, 2022

By U.S. Embassy Beirut | 2 February 2022 | Topics: News, Scholarships and Exchanges | Tags: Scholarships