Welcome! 

Friends of the Chautauqua Writers' Center, formerly known as Chautauqua Literary Arts Friends, is a volunteer organization associated with Chautauqua Institution that works year-round on behalf of the Writers' Center. During the nine-week summer season, the Friends provide opportunities for writers to present their work and meet other writers, organize writing contests and other special events, support scholarships for young adult writers, and lend support to the Writers' Center at Chautauqua.

FCWC weekly events include co-sponsorship of readings, receptions and book signings by the Writers' Center writers-in-residence ; open mic sessions; informal writing critiques; and Authors Hour readings.  FCWC also sponsors special events throughout the season, such as a Week One reception for anyone interested in the literary arts at Chautauqua; a Book Fair showcasing local authors; the nationally acclaimed Pinsky Favorite Poem Project reading; and writing contests for all ages.

FCWC works closely with Chautauqua’s Director of Literary Arts to support programs seeking to enhance the Chautauqua experience for all lovers of writing and literature.  We welcome new members to our friendly group and would encourage new members to get to know us by volunteering for one of our events.   Annual dues are $20 per person.  Benefits include FCWC newsletters, advance notice of upcoming Writers' Center workshops, workshop fee discounts for assistants; waived fees for writing contests, and support of scholarships for aspiring young adult writers attending Chautauqua Writers' Center workshops for the first time.

Note:  Your name, address, and email will be automatically captured from your Submittable account information.

The Chautauqua Janus Prize will be awarded for the eighth time in 2025, celebrating an emerging writer’s single work of short fiction or nonfiction for daring formal and aesthetic innovations that upset and reorder readers’ imaginations. In addition to receiving a $5,000 award and a $2,000 travel and lodging stipend, the winner gives a lecture on the grounds during the summer season and appears in a forthcoming issue of the literary journal Chautauqua.
 

Janus Prize nominees selected by their programs or magazines should contact Manager of Literary Arts, Stephine Hunt, at shunt@chq.org for submission instructions.
 

Complete guidelines can be found at chq.org/janus. Finalists will be announced no later than April and a winner announced in May.