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Programs

In addition to its regular reading series, the Rose O’Neill Literary House is home to the Literary House Press, visiting writers’ fellowships, and the annual Cherry Tree Young Writers’ Conference, for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Cherry Tree Young Writers' Conference

At the Cherry Tree Young Writers’ Conference, rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (and those who have just graduated) can experience the literary community and the vibrant writing life at Washington College, as well as the opportunity to work with the Lit House's amazing staff and interns. It is a four-day literary extravaganza!

For more information, click here!

Residencies 

Mary Wood Fellowship

The Mary Wood Fellowship at Washington College is awarded to a female-identifying writer who has published at least one book in the selection genre. 

The Fellowship now sponsors one of our faculty members at the Cherry Tree Young Writers' Conference. The selected writer will teach a workshop at the Young Writers' Conference, a four-day literary extravaganza. The writer will work with both our high school participants and our Washington College intern students in the workshop. The Fellow will also give a public reading and participate on craft panels during the Conference.

Eastern Shore poet, playwright, fiction writer, and all-around literary powerhouse Mary Wood, whose support makes the fellowship possible, was a 1968 graduate of the College and a former member of its Board of Visitors and Governors. We are thankful to Mary and the entire Wood family!

 

2023 -Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello

2021 - Kathryn Nuernberger

2018 - Amber Dermont

2016 - Nicky Beer

2014 - Shara Lessley

2012 - Laura van den Berg

2010 - Irina Reyn

2008 - Hannah Tinti

Sophie Kerr / Rose O’Neill Literary House Writer-in-Residence at Washington College

This  residency is solicited by invitation only and funded by the Sophie Kerr Endowment and the Rose O’Neill Literary House. While at Washington College, the Writer-in-Residence gives both a public reading and a craft talk and meets with students about their writing and career interests. The Writer-in-Residence allows the Department of English and the Rose O’Neill Literary House to offer students more opportunities to engage with an established creative writer in sustained and meaningful ways, adding diversity to the creative writing offerings and bringing additional points of view to the literary conversation taking place on our campus. There is no application process; the Writer-in-Residence is selected by the Department of English and the Director of the Rose O’Neill Literary House.