The Nook Farm Writers Collaborative
To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement.
Applications due Tuesday April 29
The Mark Twain House & Museum is now accepting applications for the Summer 2025 Nook Farm Writers Collaborative. This six-week, on-site creative writing program in Hartford for Connecticut students grades 9-12 takes its inspiration from Mark Twain’s own career as a working writer, someone who wrote in a variety of genres and cultivated a range of skills in order to sustain a career in a challenging publishing world. The program comes with an $800 stipend for attendees.
Under the guidance of writer and teacher Victoria Nordlund and program coordinator Dr. Erin Bartram, participants in the Nook Farm Writers Collaborative produce a variety of pieces in forms inspired by Twain’s writing career. They explore travel writing, journalism, personal essays, poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction, culminating in a polished personal portfolio and several collaborative pieces. The program concludes with a showcase of that work, including live reading and performances.
Participants also work collaboratively to publish the summer issue of the NWFC’s online literary journal Journey 75, featuring a selection of the writing produced during the program. As the editorial board for the summer issue, participants select the pieces to be published, engage in extensive peer review, design a marketing campaign for the issue, and learn how to publish new pieces to the journal’s website.
Applications are now open for the 2025 program, which runs June 24-July 30. Please read the eligibility requirements below carefully before completing your application:
- Participants must be between the ages of 14 and 18 when the program begins on June 24, 2025.
- The program meets on-site at The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford. Participants must be able to be at the museum Monday-Wednesday and Friday each week of the program from 9 AM to 3 PM; Thursday is a work from home day.
- Participants must be able to commit to the full six-week program to be considered for acceptance.