Welcome to Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA), a non-profit, international arts organization dedicated to the principle that everyone can use words to create art. AWA was founded over thirty years ago by Pat Schneider, author of Writing Alone and With Others, Oxford University Press. 

Our members are committed to the belief that a writer is someone who writes and that every writer has a unique voice. The teaching of craft is taken seriously and all AWA workshops are based on the principle that the teaching of craft can be practiced without damage to the creative spirit.

Our workshop leaders hold writing workshops in cities and towns across the U.S. and Canada, in Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Malawi, the Netherlands and India.  These workshops take place in living rooms, prisons, hospitals, church basements, homeless shelters, schools, universities and retreat centers. Our workshops and training programs welcome people of all ethnicities, gender identification, class, religions and educational experiences.

From Writing Alone and With Others: The Five Essential Affirmations.
1.   Everyone has a strong, unique voice.
2.  Everyone is born with creative genius.
3. Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level.
4. The teaching of craft can be done without damage to a writer's original voice or artistic self-esteem.
5. A writer is someone who writes.

We encourage you to browse this website to find a writing workshop near you, to learn about our training program, or order an issue of our journal.

Contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 413 253 3307

You have a voice, just as surely as you have a face, and it is already full of character, passionate and nuanced and beautiful.

                           Pat Schneider

                           Writing Alone and With Others