New Literary Project Announces Leadership Transition: Founding Executive Director Diane Del Signore to Step Aside After Seven Transformative Years; Vanessa Merina Named Incoming Executive Director
OAKLAND, CA, May 21, 2026—
New Literary Project (NewLit), the Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to literary arts, arts education, and free creative writing programs across generations and communities, announced the transition of Executive Director Diane Del Signore after seven years of leadership, with Vanessa Merina assuming the role in mid-June.
Under Del Signore’s leadership, NewLit evolved from an ambitious literary nonprofit founded in 2015 into a nationally recognized force for arts education, social impact, and literary culture.
During her tenure, Del Signore oversaw the expansion of NewLit’s signature programs: the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, a $50,000 national award celebrating mid-career fiction writers of major consequence; the Jack Hazard Fellowship, a $5,000 summer award supporting creative writers who teach full-time in U.S. high schools (now with more than 45 fellows from 17 states); free creative writing workshops for marginalized youth across the Bay Area; and the annual Simpsonistas anthology, which publishes first-time teenage writers alongside award-winning authors.
Diane Del Signore writes: “It’s been a wonderful seven-year ride with NewLit. I am honored to have deeply engaged with the most urgent issues of today. Now when democracy itself is under siege, NewLit has played its vital part educating young people and sustaining artists and teachers across the generations. In particular, I am proud to have solidified the infrastructure essential to the delivery of the mission of New Literary Project, to which I will forevermore subscribe.”
“Diane’s seven years at the helm of NewLit have been extraordinary,” said Joseph Di Prisco, Chair and Founder of New Literary Project. “She has been central to everything we’ve built — our programs, our community, and the culture of care and literary seriousness that defines this organization. Her commitment to writers, students, and teachers has left a lasting mark on NewLit and on the many people we serve. We are deeply grateful for all she has given to this organization and wish her joy and success in what comes next.”
Vanessa Merina brings to NewLit a blend of nonprofit leadership, strategy, communications, and literary community-building. At KQED, Merina has led enterprise-wide strategic planning, communications, partnerships, and audience development while helping shape one of the nation’s premier public media organizations. Her background also includes senior leadership roles at Stanford Health Care, the Public Policy Institute of California, and experience as a nonprofit co-founder. Merina holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
“Vanessa is a gifted strategist and a genuine lover of literature and arts education — a combination that doesn’t come along often,” said Di Prisco. “She understands how to build organizations that serve communities with care and clarity, and she brings to this work both the sensibility of a writer and the discipline of a leader. We couldn’t be more exhilarated about what lies ahead for NewLit.”
“I’m honored to join New Literary Project,” says Merina. “NewLit doesn’t just celebrate writers; it creates the conditions for writing and literary community to thrive across generations and experiences. Under Diane’s leadership, NewLit has become an organization that pairs literary ambition with public purpose. I’m excited to build on that foundation, learn alongside this community, and help lead NewLit’s next chapter.”
The transition comes as NewLit enters its second decade, and continues to expand its impact across literary culture, education, and community transformation.
About New Literary Project
Founded in 2015 in partnership with UC Berkeley’s English Department and Bay Area civic leaders, New Literary Project invests in students, teachers, authors, and readers across generations and communities. Through free creative writing workshops, Jack Hazard fellowships for creative writers who teach high school, public literary events, the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and the annual Simpsonistas anthology, NewLit supports writers and literary culture while expanding access to the arts. NewLit’s vision is to drive social change and unleash artistic power. NewLit is based in Oakland, California. Learn more at newliteraryproject.org.
Media Contact:
Joseph Di Prisco
New Literary Project
jdp@newliteraryproject.org925-310-4642