The U.S Embassy in Tbilisi is pleased to announce the International Writing Program titled “Between the Lines: Peace and the Writing Experience”, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department.

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.

All program activities will be in English and will include synchronized writing workshops, world literature seminars, special literary events, and social opportunities for cultural exchange, as well as group and individual writing assignments outside of class. Upon the completion of the program, each participant will receive a certificate (PDF) and IWP will digitally publish the students’ writing as an anthology.  BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience 2021 alumni may also be eligible to apply for BTL follow-on micro grants. These funds will support new work that promotes creative writing and literature, youth leadership skills, professional development, community engagement, and community transformation through collaborative literary projects.

Criteria

• This year’s version of Between the Lines (BTL) will bring together participants from Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, Sri Lanka, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Tunisia, UAE, and Ukraine.
• Candidates must be between the ages of 15 and 18 as of July 10, 2021, proficient in English (reading, writing, and speaking) and able to participate effectively in online intercultural exchange.
• All participants must have the ability to read, write, and converse in English. During the two-week program, students will take a writing-focused literature seminar—in English—with their American and international counterparts. They will also participate in a writing workshop with BTL faculty. Active discussion is an essential element of instruction.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Georgia.