People bravely write their hearts out every day in New Literary Project, across generations, & communities, & boundaries.
We drive social change by unleashing artistic power. Learn how. Watch Jack Hazards of LA: The Documentary
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work…. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom. Like art.”
— TONI MORRISON
New Literary Project came together in 2015 in partnership between the University of California, Berkeley, English Department, the world’s foremost English Department, in the world’s leading public university, and altruistic community leaders in the Bay Area.
The 2025 Finalists for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize
New Literary Project is honored to announce the five distinguished finalists for the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize (JCO).
Finalists were named in March 2025, the Recipient will be named in April 2025.
The finalists pictured from left to right: Jennine Capó Crucet, Sarah Manguso, Julia Phillips, Morgan Talty, and Willy Vlautin.
Meet our 2025 Bonnie Bonetti-Bell and Iris Starn Teaching Fellows
The New Literary Project is offering five Bonnie Bonetti-Bell Fellowships and Workshops and four Iris Starn Fellowships and Workshops in 2025. Our 2025 Teaching Fellows will conduct creative writing workshops offered to young people throughout the Bay Area through partner organizations such as Girls, Inc. of Alameda County, East Bay School of Performing Arts, Mt. McKinley, Northgate, Albany, and other high schools.
For more information about the teaching fellowships and to meet our 2025 Teaching Fellows, visit our program pages below.
About Bonnie Bonetti-Bell
Bonnie Bonetti-Bell (1945 – 2019) wrote and read her heart out as soon as she could read and hold a pencil. For most of her life, she read at least one book per week, and she was a compelling storyteller both as a writer and public speaker. Learn More
Scenes from VOTE NEWLIT 2024 and our October Residency Events
New Literary Project was delighted to host 2024 Joyce Carol Oates Prize WInner Ben Fountain, author of Devil Makes Three and Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk among other works, in October for a Bay Area residency.
We also released our new Jack Hazard Fellows short documentary and Simpsonistas, vol. 6.
See scenes from our events on our Events Page.
Applications Close for Jack Hazard Fellowships: $5,000 Summer Awards to Creative Writers Teaching High School
New Literary Project has now closed applications for annual Jack Hazard Summer Fellowships for Summer 2025. Fellowships of $5,000 will again be awarded to creative writers who are full-time educators teaching in accredited high schools in the United States. Applications closed on January 3, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025 summer fellowships. We will announce the fellowship recipients in Spring 2025.
For more information about the fellowship, visit our Jack Hazard Fellowship Program page.
Our Story
New Literary Project invests in students & teachers, readers & authors, and it inspires and equips writers across the generations to write their hearts out. NewLit offers writing workshops free of charge for underserved younger writers; celebrates storytellers and storytelling through a major national award to a mid-career author of fiction (the Joyce Carol Oates Prize); and makes possible readings, events, and publication in our annual anthology of Project-connected authors, Simpsonistas.
Writing Workshops
New Literary Project leads creative writing workshops at high schools and afterschool programs throughout the Bay Area. The majority of the teenagers in our workshops will be the first in their families to attend college.
Jack Hazard Fellowships
Jack Hazard Fellows are fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir writers who teach full time in an accredited United States high school. We provide a $5,000 award that enables these creative writers who teach to focus on their writing for a summer.
Simpsonistas
Simpsonistas highlights fiction, poetry, essays, and conversation by many brilliant associates of New Literary Project. Authors include teenagers published for the first time alongside distinguished award-winning authors.
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