Philadelphia Alumni Writers House

Among pens, computers, dirty dishes, and good food, more than a community is evoked. At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, we welcome, inspire, feed, teach, share and love.

Where Imagination Has No Limits

Unique among selective liberal arts colleges, F&M’s Writers House is an actual house — complete with comfy couches, a kitchen, and a picturesque fireplace — with a mission to give the writing and reading community exciting opportunities to fully immerse themselves in wordcraft and literature.

The Writers House offers a literary performance space for the College community, a podium for hundreds of world-class and emerging authors, an incubator for student-run publications and programs, and a classroom for writing-related courses. Closely connected to the English department, with a mission to work with departments and programs across the curriculum, Writers House hosts and co-hosts tons of writing-related events, including readings, craft workshops, road trips, career Q&A's, faculty talks, and publication parties. 

2023-2024 Emerging Writers Festival: Wednesday, April 3-Friday, April 5

Each spring, the English Department at Franklin & Marshall College hosts its annual Emerging Writers Festival, dedicated to championing the work of writers early in their careers. Since its inception in 2002, the Festival has been a collaborative effort between students and faculty, bringing people together across the campus community and beyond for readings, workshops, and the opportunity to mix, formally and informally, with some of the country’s most exciting new literary talents. Generously supported by Edna Hausman P'85 and Richard D. Hausman '50, P'85 and the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, the Emerging Writers Festival is a marquee event in F&M’s literary year.

Learn more »

EWF gathering in the living room


Get Involved 

Whether you’re a writer, a reader, or a performer, there are an infinite number of ways to get involved with Writers House. All are welcome at the Writers House to visit, listen, contribute, or just stay a while.

Writers House Community

The Writers House Community is a close-knit, far-flung group of writers and readers, and everyone in the F&M community is welcome to join. Being a member means that you are a part of anything and everything we do! Community members plan and host events, attend our biweekly meetings, hang out in the House, or just lurk on our email listserv looking for publication opportunities. Sign up for our email list. 

Writing Workshops

Often led by F&M faculty or visiting alumni authors, these hands-on workshops are opportunities to learn the craft of writing prose, poetry, plays and more directly from the experts.

Visiting Writers

Every year, Writers House invites dozens of talented writers from all walks of life to give readings, craft talks, and to engage with the F&M community. 

The Emerging Writers Festival

Each spring, F&M’s English department partners with the Writers House to host the Emerging Writers Festival, or EWF. A hallmark literary tradition on campus, the Emerging Writers Festival is a three-day event that invites the country’s most exciting emerging authors to F&M to host readings, craft talks, and writing workshops. The festival is a collaborative effort between students and faculty, offering students hands-on experience in bringing a literary festival to life.

Learn more about ewf

Books and Publications at Writers House


F&M Literary Publications

Several student-run publications find their home in Writers House. These publications offer exceptional opportunities for students to flex their writing, editing, or staffing skills in new ways. F&M student publications at Writers House include:

    • Epilogue, a literary magazine celebrating the creative works of F&M students, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art.
    • boy-band, a quarterly magazine with two sections: a lifestyle section focusing on conscious living, fashion, and entertainment, and a literary section featuring F&M authors and poets. 
    • FEM&M, a fresh, feminist-focused literary and visual arts magazine

Lapine Family Visiting Artists

Alumnus James Lapine '71 and his family endowed an annual lectureship at the College to bring eminent theater artists, as well as the Lapine Poetry Fellowship, created to aid writers and artists at a particularly important moment in their careers.

Lapine Theatre Trips

Thanks to the generosity of alumnus James Lapine ‘71 and the Lapine Family Endowment,  F&M students, faculty, and staff are able to travel to New York City every semester to see new shows and connect with artists working on Broadway and Off-Broadway professional productions. 

Murder Mystery Parties

Writers House’s spookiest tradition, we host an annual Halloween Murder Mystery full of fabulous costumes and enigmatic plots. Some have even been written by students.

Writers House Thanksgiving

Writers House Thanksgiving is the social event of the holiday season: a massive, potluck feast, with everything from turkey to tofurkey, from zucchini bread to soda bread, and anything else you can think of.

The Pi/es of March

A celebration of pi, pie, March birthdays and anniversaries, the Ides of March, and all round foods, the Pi/es of March Party features pi-kus, a pi recitation contest, and plenty of pies!

Writers House in Lancaster

Writers House students find exciting opportunities to be a creative force of positive change by sharing their passion for writing with F&M’s home city of Lancaster. Our students engage the community in writing opportunities for kids and adults in our beautiful city – including teaching creative writing to elementary schoolchildren and driving a van covered in magnetic poetry to schools and community centers to lead poetry writing workshops.

Learn more about Lancaster »

Upcoming Writers House Events

View All Events on The Ampersand Portal