The University of Iowa’s campus was abuzz this summer as it hosted the 27th iteration of the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio (IYWS). This year, out of over 1,800 applicants, 169 of the most promising and imaginative high school-aged writers from around the world were selected to spend two weeks in Iowa City, immersed in creative process and connecting to the long, rich tradition of writing at Iowa.
“IYWS gave me a kind of writing community I had never really experienced before."
- Michelle Lin, IYWS student
Founded in 1999, the IYWS is the premier summer youth writing program of its kind. High school-aged applicants accepted to the program enroll in courses taught by graduates of Iowa’s many esteemed MFA programs, including the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Nonfiction Writing Program, and the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Together, students and teachers focus critically on the art and craft of creative writing and its processes by drafting new work, sharing writing with peers, receiving constructive critique, and participating in additional writing exercises and activities.
“IYWS gave me a kind of writing community I had never really experienced before,” says Michelle Lin, an IYWS student from McLean, VA who attended the 2026 June Session. “Through my workshop, I met people who welcomed my stories with open arms, and this made the process of writing feel like a faucet which you couldn't stop if you tried. I was welcomed into the program so quickly by my teachers and peers. Now not only do I feel more confident in my own work, but also extra excited to read other's work and think like a writer.”
To supplement their coursework, students also attend readings by published writers, participate in masterclasses on writing techniques, discuss writing-adjacent subjects (literary translation, revision). They also experience the wonder of living in a UNESCO City of Literature. This accepting and collaborative environment—in addition social gatherings like open mics and talent shows—give IYWS students the unique opportunity to connect with one another and take as much from the experience as possible over the two weeks they are here.
“[The] IYWS was able to offer something that I found nowhere else,” says Yolanda Han, a student who came to Iowa City from Beijing, China. “The camp schedule guided us to find the balance between having fun and being productive. It’s been two weeks since camp ended, and I’m still in contact with my Iowa friends, knowing that our connection will be lifelong. The shared identity of writers established an automatic resonance and common ground; something was there the first day we met.” Full interview: Yolanda Han
“This is a special place. The IYWS brings young writers together during a crucial time in their lives.”
- Stephen Lovely, IYWS Director
The teachers, too, see the learning and recognize the immense abilities their students bring to class. “Every summer, I'm amazed at how smart, well read, imaginative, and sincere IYWS students are about their own and each other's writing,” says Erin Sherry, an instructor at this year’s IYWS. “Beyond their analytical prowess and the true originality of their voices, I'm heartened by the way these young writers show up for one another every summer. If the future ‘writing world’ they go onto create is as nourishing and generative as the one they made together at camp, we're all in good hands.”
While the students and instructors are the centerpiece of the IYWS, its continued status as an elite program is thanks the visionary leadership of longtime director Stephen Lovely. “This is a special place. The IYWS brings young writers together during a crucial time in their lives,” Lovely says. “They find support and friendship here. They find a community they can stay connected with long into the future. They also find space to be intellectually and creatively curious. They are asked to dream big and question big, to experiment, to push and prod and be what they already are: writers. It’s a magical thing to watch every year. And it could only happen in Iowa City, at the University of Iowa.”
Beyond the summer residential program, the IYWS has expanded its offerings to include spring and summer online classes. In these asynchronous courses, high school-aged writers spend six weeks learning in a virtual pre-college environment, a digital space that allows students from around the globe to come together under the banner of the literary arts. This year alone, over 800 students enrolled in the IYWS’s online courses (representing 27 different countries), a number that highlights just how strong the program is, and how valued Iowa’s reputation as the Writing University is around the world.
And the IYWS isn’t done yet. This fall, the program will host its first annual High School Writing Conference, a one-day event at the University of Iowa where students from across the state will come for a keynote, short courses, and dynamic activities, culminating with a campus tour and a meeting with UI writing program leaders.
“We know Iowa is recognized for its distinguished writing reputation, and the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio remains one of the most impressive parts of our vast legacy,” says Daniel Khalastchi, executive director of the university’s Office of Writing and Communication. “The program’s leadership, faculty, staff, and students are the absolute best and brightest. They’ve gone on to win some of the most prestigious literary awards of our time, and they show us year after year what belief in the power of the written word can do. We can’t wait to see what they do next.”