The Affiliate Network welcomes all those who have been trained in the AWA method.  It is a community of trained workshop leaders who support each other and actively support AWA. In turn, Amherst Writers & Artists supports Affiliates with advertising, professional development materials, and serves as a referral and information center.

When AWA hosts a retreat, conference or reading, Affiliates receive first notice and discounted rates.  Affiliates network with each other as well as with the AWA central office to support one another and share information and materials. 

AWA offers Affiliates  exciting new benefits.  You are a member of a vibrant community of writers.

Affiliates are also able to network with each other through Ning, a restricted, on-line service, sharing questions, materials and news about their workshops, retreats and writing.  Through networking, Affiliates deepen their knowledge of how to create successful and supportive writing experiences for the members of their workshops.

It is important to note that each Affiliate is independent in establishing, leading and setting costs for her or his own workshops, retreats and events.  An AWA Affiliate is not an employee of AWA, but an independent business owner or social agent.  AWA maintains the quality of affiliate workshops through the Affiliate Network described above.  In this way, affiliates are free to express their own creativity and interests while staying true to the principles of the AWA method.

Affiliate Chapters have formed in Ireland, in Sacramento, California and in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.  These chapters are concentrated groups of affiliates who have established regular meetings and events to support local writers and each other as writing resources.  As AWA continues to grow, the number of these chapters will increase as well.

Workshop Leadership in Non-Traditional Settings is an important part of AWA.  Affiliates lead workshops in prisons, homeless shelters, hospitals, in after-school programs, half-way houses, domestic violence shelters and in nursing homes.  Affiliates travel around the globe to writing workshops to those who have received little or no encouragement to express their voice.  Some of these affiliates have joined forces and created separate, non-profit organizations. 

The NY Writers Coalition, the first such oranization to form, is an organization that brings writing to homeless shelters in New York neighborhoods. Voices from Inside brings the AWA method to women in Western Massachusetts jails, while  VoiceFlame Writers International brings AWA affiliates to women with HIV in Malawi.  Each of these organizations owes their roots and inspiration to Amherst Writers & Artists.

Affiliates maintain their status by paying yearly dues of $175 to:

Amherst Writers & Artists

P. O. Box 1076

Amherst MA 01004

Or through Paypal, using This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You can find an Affiliate by simply typing the specific name of a workshop leader or a state into the Find a Workshop dialogue box.