Inaugural Keynote Lecture Join us on July 12 for our 2025 Summer Keynote Lecture with Katherine Scott Crawford & Elizabeth Kostova! Learn More & Register

6/15 "Poetry & Performance" Take your poetry readings to the next level in this non-credit workshop with Keith Flynn! Learn More & Register

Summer 2025 Classes Registration is open for our Summer classes (now with for-credit and non-credit options!) Learn More & Register

Welcome to The Great Smokies Writing Program

 

About Us

For 25 years, The Great Smokies Writing Program has offered university-level community classes for writers of all experience levels in Western North Carolina and beyond. In-state tuition is highly affordable, and each course carries academic credit awarded through UNC Asheville, but students need not be enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Our program allows writers to join a supportive learning community and to enjoy the mentorship of professional writers. We also host numerous events at UNCA and other venues in the Asheville area, which are open to the public, including readings, craft talks, and panels with writers, editors, and publishing professionals.

We offer a number of full scholarships to in-state residents with financial need each year. Please see the Cori Gross Scholarship page for more information.

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Elizabeth Lutyen's class sitting around a table

Current Classes

Check out our current course offerings for Spring 2025, featuring classes in fiction, memoir & personal essay, and the writing life, led by accomplished North Carolina writers.

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Great News!

Do you have good news to share? Maybe you’ve been published recently, or won a grant or award, or accepted into a residency program—we want to hear about it! Click the button below to share a short blurb that we can add to the website.

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Writers at Home

Donate to GSWP

Your contributions to The Great Smokies Writing Program make it possible for us to continue offering highly affordable classes to writers of all experience levels and to continue hosting public events year-round that foster the literary community!

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