Poets & Writers Launches New Fellowship Program With Gifts From Joseph R. McCrindle Foundation and Diana and Simon Raab

Poets & Writers, Inc. today announced the formation of the Galen Williams Fellowship Program.  Designed to nurture future leaders in the field of literature, and especially the non-profit literary arena, the program honors the founder of Poets & Writers, Galen Williams.

With the creation of the Galen Williams Fellowship Program, Poets & Writers formalizes its commitment to the next generation of leaders for the literary field. Each year, Poets & Writers will award paid fellowships to two promising individuals. The positions have been named for the donors who very generously provided support for this new initiative.  They are:  the Joseph F. McCrindle Foundation Readings/Workshops Fellow and the Diana & Simon Raab Editorial Fellow.

The Joseph F. McCrindle Foundation Readings/Workshops Fellow will assist P&W’s Readings/Workshops program staff and will have an opportunity to interact with scores of writers and community based organizations that present literary programming for diverse populations around the country.

The Diana & Simon Raab Editorial Fellow will work with the Editorial Director and other senior staff members on Poets & Writers Magazine and/or P&W’s Web site, pw.org, gaining broad exposure to related editorial practices and issues.

• Applications for the inaugural year were solicited in early summer and the first fellows have been selected from among dozens of applicants.  Coincidentally, both are affiliated with the MFA program at New York University (NYU).  
  Cathy Che, the 2010-11 McCrindle Fellow, recently received her MFA from NYU.  Originally from California, Che is undertaking her fellowship in Poets & Writers’ Los Angeles Office, where she is assisting in the administration of Readings/Workshops West and immersing herself in the West Coast literary scene.

Catherine (“Cat”) Richardson, the 2010-11 Raab Editorial Fellow, is currently enrolled in the NYU MFA program. She is a recent graduate of Princeton (class of 2008) and previously worked as the bookroom assistant at Publishers Weekly. Cat’s fellowship finds her working closely with the editorial team in P&W’s New York City office.

“Paid fellowships in this field are extremely rare,” said Poets & Writers executive director, Elliot Figman. “We are really thrilled to be able to create a model for developing talent in this way.”

“It is marvelous to be able to work together with philanthropists,” he said, “to realize something new and innovative. We are honored to be a part of Joe McCrindle’s legacy and delighted to partner with the Raabs in investing in the future of literature. I can’t think of a better way to honor Galen Williams than planning for a creative, innovative future in literature.”

The late Joseph F. McCrindle was a long-time supporter of Poets & Writers.  He was the founder and editor of The Transatlantic Review, an art collector, and a generous patron of musicians, writers, and visual artists.  He died in 2008.

Diana and Simon Raab have also been supporters of Poets & Writers for a number of years.  Ms. Raab serves on the organization’s Magazine Committee.  She is an author and editor, and has written essays, memoir, poetry, and non-fiction, often drawing on her background as a registered nurse. She teaches in the renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program and facilitates writing workshops around the country. The Raab's live in Santa Barbara, California.