The Summer Institute is a new two-week creative writing and cultural exchange program offered through the International Writing Program. It will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S., a UNESCO City of Literature, for participants age 18-22 from Pakistan, India, and the U.S. Students from all disciplines – the arts, humanities, sciences, and everything in between – will congregate in Iowa City for this immersive prgoram.

This program is free for selected participants, and will focus on creative writing and the power of narrative. The Summer Institute’s innovative, inclusive, cross-cultural approach will empower future thought-leaders and help forge new lines of understanding, promote social justice, and foreground diversity, empathy, and community. Participants will come to see writing as a form of action – a personally-empowering skill that can be employed for social change.

This year, the 2019 session will bring together writers from Pakistan, India and the U.S. from July 6 - 20.

During Summer Institute morning sessions, visiting experts will lead master classes on an array of topics; while afternoons will be reserved primarily for generative writing sessions led by faculty mentors. Additional panels will foster discussion of identity and culture, and allow participants to explore collaboration and team-building. Evenings will feature arts programming, such as literary readings, open mic nights, movies, and special workshops (on topics such as slam poetry or screenwriting), as well as free time to write and socialize. The weekend may include additional arts programming, as well as a relaxing afternoon picnic at Lake Macbride State Park, a great place for swimming and walking in the woods.

The Summer Institute is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.