Poets & Writers Is Accepting Submissions for the 2010 California Writers Exchange Award

Poets & Writers, the nation's largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers, invites poets and fiction writers in California to apply for its 2010 California Writers Exchange Award. Writers who are residents of California and have never published a book, or have published only one full-length book of fiction or poetry are eligible. The winning poet and fiction writer will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City in spring 2010 to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers, and to give a public reading. This year's judges are Juan Felipe Herrara for poetry and Karen Tei Yamashita for fiction.

To date, 78 writers from 31 states states have participated in P&W's Writers Exchange. As a direct result of the Writers Exchange, past winners -- notably Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees -- have had their books published, received awards and fellowships, secured teaching positions, and laid the groundwork for their professional lives as writers.

For complete guidelines and an application form, visit www.pw.org/about-us/california_writers_exchange_award or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to California Writers Exchange, Poets & Writers, Inc., 2035 Westwood Blvd., Suite 211, Los Angeles, CA, 90025. Completed applications and manuscripts must be postmarked no later than August 31, 2009.