Clarion West

CLARION WEST SUPPORTS EMERGING AND UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES BY PROVIDING WRITERS WITH WORLD-CLASS INSTRUCTION TO EMPOWER THEIR CREATION OF WILD AND AMAZING WORLDS. THROUGH CONVERSATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, WE BRING THOSE VOICES TO AN EVER-EXPANDING COMMUNITY.

CLARION WEST CONTINUES TO REFINE AND IMPROVE ITS ONLINE CLASS AND WORKSHOP OFFERINGS. IN 2021, CLARION WEST HELD 84 CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS ONLINE FOR 1,719 PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. PROMINENT AUTHORS IN THE FIELD OF SPECULATIVE FICTION TAUGHT WORKSHOPS YEAR-ROUND, INCLUDING JEFFREY FORD, KEN LIU, HENRY LIEN, FONDA LEE, AT GREENBLATT, ARLEY SORG, AND LAURIE PENNY. SIX FREE BUSINESS CLASSES FOR WRITERS WERE PROVIDED FOR 210 ATTENDEES, AND 17 CO-WRITING SESSIONS FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING WERE HELD FOR 149 ATTENDEES. CLARION WEST IS COMMITTED TO RACIAL EQUITY IN THE FIELD OF SPECULATIVE FICTION AND PROVIDED 205 FREE SEATS FOR WRITERS WHO IDENTIFY AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

CLARION WEST'S RENOWNED SIX-WEEK WORKSHOP IS AN IMMERSIVE SIX-WEEK RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE GEARED TO HELP STUDENTS BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS AS WRITERS OF SPECULATIVE FICTION. PARTICIPANTS MUST APPLY TO ATTEND AND THERE ARE MORE APPLICANTS THAN THERE IS SPACE IN THE WORKSHOP. WE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGE HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED WRITERS TO APPLY. IN 2021 CLARION WEST ACCEPTED 15 WRITERS FROM BRAZIL, MEXICO, PHILIPPINES, CANADA, AND AROUND THE COUNTRY TO ATTEND THE SIX-WEEK WORKSHOP WITH INSTRUCTORS ANDY DUNCAN, EILEEN GUNN, TINA CONNOLLY, CAROLINE YOACHIM, NALO HOPKINSON, SHEREE RENEE THOMAS, AND TED CHIANG. CLARION WEST HOSTED THE WORKSHOP VIRTUALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME. WRITERS SPENT SIX-WEEKS WRITING ONE SHORT STORY EVERY WEEK AND CRITIQUING 14 OTHERS, LEARNING TO IMPROVE AND HONE THEIR STORY WRITING SKILLS, AND LEARNING INSIGHTS INTO THE WRITING, PUBLISHING, AND EDITING INDUSTRY.

THROUGHOUT 2021 CLARION WEST CONTINUED TO RUN A VARIETY OF OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR READERS AND WRITERS, INCLUDING ONLINE READINGS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, FREE SUMMER CLASSES, FREE YOUTH CLASSES, AND OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY SLACK CHANNELS. IN 2021, CLARION WEST HELD 11 FREE PUBLIC PANELS AND READINGS FOR OVER 600 VIEWERS. THESE INCLUDED THE BLACK EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS SERIES, THE FANTASTIC INTERSECTIONS SERIES, AND THE SUMMER OF SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY SERIES, INCLUDING ONE OPEN MIC EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TWO HOUR TRANSPORT. DURING THE SUMMER WRITE-A-THON, CLARION WEST HELD 10 FREE CLASSES FOR 469 PARTICIPANTS, 40 FREE CO-WRITING SESSIONS FOR 490 PARTICIPANTS, AND 3 TEEN WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR 20 PARTICIPANTS. OVER 540 WRITERS JOINED OUR SUMMER WRITE-A-THON TO FOCUS ON THEIR WRITING SKILLS, JOIN A WRITING COMMUNITY, AND FIND CRITIQUE PARTNERS.