NewLit Turns 11
NewLit was founded on June 10, 2015
Eleven years ago, NewLit started as just a dream in the mind of our founder Joe Di Prisco. He had a few ideas and the simple hope of doing good work for the literary arts and arts education, making space where creative writing and free expression would bring people together.
Like all non-profits, we've faced a few challenges. Through it all, we have been supported by the people who believed in us. We are especially grateful to our supporters whose commitment, resilience, and care have carried us through both bustling seasons and difficult times. Their dedication to our mission and to our team is the foundation of everything we've built.
As we celebrate eleven years, we're looking to all we’ve accomplished so far:
We’ve awarded 45 Jack Hazard Fellowships to creative writers in 17 states. These fellowships support creative writers who teach high school, and we’re forever grateful for their work.
We’ve awarded our 11th Joyce Carol Oates Prize to Erika Krouse who will be with us this Fall. More on that soon.
We recently celebrated our 2026 Bonetti-Bell and Iris Starn Fellows at the home of board member James Bell. Fellows reflected on their teaching experience; we even had a taco truck.
We created an amazing documentary, NewLit: the First Ten Years
Eleven years have taught us many things, but the most important lesson we’ve learned is that community is what matters to us. Thank you for choosing to spend time with us, meet our authors, fellows, and enjoy fabulous meals, literary gatherings, and everything in between. It is a privilege we never take for granted, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our events for many years to come.