Deadline: March 11, 2021

The U.S. Embassy Morocco is pleased to announce the University of Iowa International Writing Program Between the Lines 2021.

BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience will bring together 40 international and 10 U.S.-based students, ages 15-18, for two weeks of intensive BTL summer programming hosted online by the International Writing Program (IWP) and the University of Iowa (UI). All programming is conducted in English and includes creative writing workshops, world literature seminars, literary readings and Q&As with visiting authors, youth and mentor conversation sessions, social opportunities for cultural exchange, as well as group and individual writing assignments outside of class. The virtual program is free of cost for all selected participants.

Upon the completion of the program, each participant will receive a certificate and IWP will digitally publish the students’ writing as an anthology.

Program Dates:

July 10 – July 24, 2021

Who is eligible?

Moroccan young writers aged between 15 and 18 who are eager to develop their writing skills.

Applicants must be proficient in English.

(Students from outside Morocco should contact their local U.S. Embassy for more information)

How can I apply?

Applicants should submit the application requirements to : SlimaniFZ@state.gov, no later than March 11, 2021.

Application requirements:

• a) An Application Form (click here)
• b) A writing sample of 6–8 pages of prose (creative fiction/nonfiction) and/or poetry in English. Critical essays (book reports, academic reports, and so forth) will not be accepted. Document types accepted: PDF, DOC, DOCX. All writing samples must be sent in 12-point font, double-spaced, and have one-inch margins.
• c) An essay, in English, of no more than three pages in response to the following prompt: “In our daily lives, we navigate many different roles—student, sibling, daughter, son, peer. We negotiate family, friends, religious groups, as well as class, gender, race, country, and so many other groups, adjusting the way we speak or behave to fit the demands of each encounter. As we move through the day, we work through how and why we occupy each particular role. What do you consider to be the strongest, most central aspects of your identity? What does it mean to you to be a member of (or seen as a member of) a particular group? In what way does your identity influence you as a creative writer and reader?”
• d) A brief response (no longer than 300 words) to the following: “An essential component of Between the Lines is encouraging participants to explore the unfamiliar and unknown in a safe and supportive setting. Please describe a time in your past when you had to engage with a new situation, person, or idea that initially felt uncomfortable or strange. How did you proceed? If you had the chance, what would you do the same, and what would you do differently?”
• e) A brief statement of purpose (no more than 250 words), in English, describing why writing is important to the applicant’s life, and what he/she hopes to learn at BTL.

Inquiries & FAQ:

For more information, please visit: Between the Lines

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) can be found here, selecting the “International (Non-U.S.) Students” tab at the top.