Between the Lines (BTL): Peace and the Writing Experience

Since 2008, the IWP has hosted Between the Lines (BTL), a two-week creative writing and cultural exchange program for students aged 15-18. Every summer, participants from all over the world come together in Iowa City to live as a community in university dorms, broaden their literary horizons, and deepen their empathy and their understanding of one another’s cultures. This summer, BTL: Peace and the Writing Experience will invite up to 16 international (non-U.S.) and 10 U.S.-based students, along with 3 chaperones for two weeks of intensive summer programming July 12–26, 2025. Through honing their craft together and engaging in open-hearted discussions, a new community of young writers connect the dots between their home cultures, sparking friendships throughout the U.S. and around the globe. With award-winning U.S. and international faculty as their mentors, participants spend 2–4 hours a day in creative writing workshops, world literature seminars, literary readings and Q&As with visiting authors, plus social opportunities for cultural exchange, group and individual writing assignments outside of class, and more. All programming is conducted in English.