bringing writers together since 1897
Iowa was the first university in the United States to accept creative projects for advanced degrees, establishing a standard for Master of Fine Arts programs and securing a place for writers and artists in the academy. Soon, writers came from all over the country to enroll in courses in playwriting, fiction, and poetry writing, and they still do.
Interactive Timeline
History of Writing At Iowa
The Daily Iowan, a student run newspaper, launches
1868The Daily Iowan, the independent student newspaper for the University of Iowa, was established in
1868, originating from earlier campus publications like The University Reporter, eventually forming into The Daily Iowan in 1901 and becoming a daily in 1901, serving the Iowa City and UI community for over 150 years.
First creative writing coursework at Iowa
1897Earliest known date of creative writing coursework offered at Iowa.
Iowa creates the MFA in Creative Arts
1922Under the leadership of Carl Seashore in 1922, Iowa becomes the first university in the United States to accept creative projects as theses for advanced degrees.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is established
1924
Founding of the Writing Center
1934English Professor Carrie Ellen Stanley begins helping students in her courses improve their writing, one on one. This will become the Writing Lab, and then the Writing Center.
Founding of the Iowa Writers' Workshop
1936The Program in Creative Writing, known worldwide as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, was founded in 1936 with the gathering together of writers from the poetry and fiction workshops. It was the first creative writing program in the country, and it became the prototype for more than 300 writing programs, many of which were founded by Workshop alumni.
The Iowa Writers’ Workshop Flourishes
1941-1966Under the leadership of Paul Engle, the Writers’ Workshop flourishes and becomes a significant force in American letters.
Rhetoric Department launched
1945The English Department develops Communication Skills, the reading, writing, and speaking program that is the forerunner of the Rhetoric Department.
First Translation Workshop in the Nation
1962Paul Engle and Hualing Nieh Engle offered the first translation workshop in the country, pioneering a tandem method where the author and translator co-author the translated work. In 1974, this would become the MFA in Translation in the Department of Comparative Literature.
International Writing Program Begins
1967In 1967, Paul Engle and Hualing Nieh Engle founded the International Writing Program (IWP), an international writing residency program. In its first year, the program brought 27 writers from 18 different countries to Iowa City
The University of Iowa Press is Founded
1969The University of Iowa Press is founded to serve scholars, students, and readers throughout the world with works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
The Iowa Review founded
1970The Iowa Review is founded, publishing three print issues per year featuring the best in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction.
The Iowa Playwrights’ Workshop was founded
1971The Iowa Playwrights’ Workshop was founded following a long tradition of the study of playwriting in the UI Theatre Department.
Nonfiction Writing Program emerges
1976A committee chaired by Carl Klaus in the English Department approved the “M.A. in English with Emphasis on Expository Writing.” In 1990, the program became the “M.A. in Nonfiction Writing” and 1994 was promoted to an M.F.A. in 1994.
The Center for the Book founded
1986The Center for the Book, an innovative arts and research program dedicated to the past, present, and future of the book, is founded. The Center offers curricula in the arts of printing, binding, papermaking, and calligraphy, in the history and culture of books as a field of study, and in the expressive power of the book form.
The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio established
1999The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, a summer, residential creative program for high school students, is established.
The Carver College of Medicine Writing and Humanities Program launches
2001The Carver College of Medicine launches its Writing and Humanities Program to explore the artistic and humanistic dimensions of medical education and practice.
The Writing University is launched
2009A new digital initiative to represent and collaborate all writing programs on campus is established.
The Magid Certificate in Writing founded
2011The Certificate in Writing founded with a generous gift from the Magid family to enhance students’ academic, creative, and professional writing skills.
MFA in Spanish Creative Writing created
2012The Department of Spanish and Portuguese creates the MFA in Spanish Creative Writing
New Creative Writing Major announced
2016The English Department debuts a new Creative Writing Major for undergraduates.
Major in Screenwriting Arts founded
2019The major in screenwriting arts draws on the long and historic creative writing tradition at the University of Iowa by expanding undergraduate offerings to include a program in screenwriting.
The Office of Writing and Communication is established
2025The Provost announces the forming of a new office dedicated to writing across the disciplines.
History of Writing at Iowa
In 1936, the Program for Creative Writing is founded, now known globally as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. It was initially founded by Wilbur Schramm and Norman Foerster, and was the first of its kind in the country. The program became a hub for young writers to grow their craft and a space for established writers to teach and visit. Robert Frost, Flannery O’Connor, Robert Penn Warren, John Berryman, Dylan Thomas, and Robert Lowell are among the many distinguished writers that have visited the Workshop.
In 1941, Paul Engle became the director of the Workshop and held the position for 24 years (1941-1965). Under his leadership, the program’s reputation grew and became nationally recognized. The program split into specializations for both poetry and fiction writing.
For years, the Workshop was held in a building where the current Iowa Memorial Union stands. The Workshop moved in 1966 to English-Philosophy Building and then to its present location, the Dey House, in 1997. Lan Samantha Chang is the current director of the Workshop.
Engle, along with Hualing Nieh Engle, pioneered the Translation Workshop in 1962. Together, the two popularized a method of translation where the translator and writer co-author the translated work. In 1974, this would create space for the MFA in Translation, founded by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Daniel Weissbort. Today, undergraduate students can also major or minor in Translation through the Department of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures.
In 1967, the Engles founded the International Writing Program (IWP), where authors from around the world come to share their writing and foster an international writing community in Iowa City. In 1967 to 2025, the program’s mission of cultural diplomacy was funded by the US Department of State. The program has welcomed over 1,600 writers from over 160 countries to the University and Iowa City. The IWP has called Shambaugh House its home for over twenty years. The IWP’s online journal, 91st Meridian, was a space for international writers to share their work and published from 2002 to 2024. The current director of the program is Cate Dicharry.
The University of Iowa Press is founded in 1969. The press publishes poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction for scholars, students, and readers everywhere. The press is run out of Kuhl House, located on the main campus. In the next year, 1970, the literary magazine The Iowa Review is founded and continues to publish three issues each year.
The Iowa Playwrights Workshop was established in 1971 but traces its creative roots back to the 1920s. The program is run by the Department of Theatre Arts and offers an MFA in Playwriting. Notable playwrights that have graduated from the university include Tennessee Williams, Lee Blessing, Sherry Kramer, and countless others.
In 1976, the “M.A. in English with emphasis on Expository Writing” was created. This became the basis of what would later, in 1990, become the M.A. in Nonfiction Writing. It would become a M.F.A. in 1994. This M.F.A. program is more commonly known today as the Nonfiction Writing Program. To this day, it is the only MFA program in the nation dedicated to the study and development of creative nonfiction. The program would move into its current home, the Nonfiction Writing Program Building, after its completion in 2023 thanks to former director John D’Agata’s fundraising campaign to build the new building. In the end, the campaign raised 100% of the needed funds and is the only University of Iowa structure to be funded entirely by private donations. The program’s current director is Melissa Febos.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese established the MFA in Spanish Creative Writing in 2012. Students are invited to edit the Spanish literature magazine, Iowa Literaria.
The Daily Iowan, the campus newspaper, has been providing students with local stories and opportunities to gain professional experience as a writer or editor since the 1800s. Housed in the Adler Journalism Building, students work to publish relevant stories regarding the University and the greater Iowa City community. This newspaper is one way that students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication can practice their writing craft.
