APPLICATION
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
Who is eligible to apply?
The Watering Hole Winter Retreat is an intentional space created for adult writers (ages 21 and up) who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).This retreat is rooted in a mission to center, uplift, and support BIPOC voices by cultivating a space where writers can grow in community, study deeply, and explore their craft free from marginalization.
There are no publication requirements or academic credentials needed to apply. Writers at all levels—from emerging to established—are welcome and encouraged to submit. We meet poets at every level, from Slam expert to Ph.D to beginner, from Gwendolyn Brooks scholar to Kendrick Lamar aficionado.
Application Fee: $25
Application Materials
Applicants must submit the following:
- Cover Letter (with an aesthetics statement)
- The cover letter must be in a written format. We do not accept audio cover letters
- The type of aesthetics statement that we ask for is a paragraph or two that details…
- who influences your writing
- what challenges have you faced on your creative journey
- what do you seek to accomplish in your poems
- what does The Watering Hole mean to you as a writer of color
- Writing Sample of 3 recent poems
- the poems may be written or audio;we accept a variety of file types
- poems may be published or unpublished
- recent means written within the past 2 years
Please do not include your name or any identifiable information in your cover letter or writing sample.
Make certain your submission is your final version. Corrections and new versions will not be accepted.
For support with crafting your cover letter, check out our HOW TO WRITE A POETRY COVER LETTER POST.
Review Process
New applications are reviewed and accepted by The Watering Hole graduate fellows. They have a vested interest in continuing to build the TWH Tribe, as well as a wide variety of talents, backgrounds, and aesthetics.
Notifications will be sent via email by or before August 1, 2025.