gotham creative writing

Gotham Writers Workshop

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Virtual Classes in 40 reviews

Review Highlights

“ Everything from, screenwriting to creative, non fiction, memoir , humor, travel, stand up etc. ” in 15 reviews

“ Elizabeth Cohen gave insight and encouragement that took me to the next level, in my writing and confidence. ” in 42 reviews

“ I rarely give 5 stars but Hess's class is an important bridge between you and your dream to advance your work of fiction . ” in 18 reviews

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About the Business

Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative home in New York City and Online where writers develop their craft and come together in the spirit of discovery and fellowship. We've been teaching creative writing to students since 1993. Learn more at gothamwriters.com or call us at 212-974-8377 …

Location & Hours

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555 8th Ave

New York, NY 10018

38th St & 37th St

Midtown West, Hell's Kitchen

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126 reviews

I've recently finished my fourth Gotham writing class. I'm already planning to take several more. Honestly, you can't really go wrong with Gotham's classes. No, you don't get a degree from Gotham, but you do gain a solid understanding of writing in the area of your choice. I took my first two classes and they gave me enough of a skill set to write a full-length novel, then another, then another. When I decided to learn screenwriting, Gotham classes provided me with what I needed yet again. C.C. Webster is a true screenwriting treasure - an absolutely non-pretentious instructor with skill and knowledge in the art of screenwriting. It still blows my mind that I was able to have her as an instructor. Listen, writers, do NOT debate with yourselves about Gotham... just enroll already!

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Apr 1, 2024

Three novels...that is amazing, Keisha! So glad Gotham has been a reliable resource for you, from fiction to screenwriting. We're looking forward to seeing you in class again soon!

Best writing class in my entire life . Have taken multiple classes through other groups but this is in a league of its own . My 10 week memoir class was transformative . My instructor , Cindy House, was gifted in bringing out the best in her students . I have already signed up for the next class which meets in 4 weeks . Met other writers as well in the zoom class but there are different types of classes to choose from . Loved the entire experience in a supportive environment and my writing improved like never before !

Mar 21, 2024

Suzanne, thank you so much for your kinds words! We're glad you enjoyed the Zoom format and found a supportive community. We hope to see you in another class or event soon!

I got the perfect mentor through Gotham (Jil Picariello) who gave me stellar, constructive feedback on my memoir as I was writing it. She also held me accountable on making progress on my chapters. I would definitely use Jil and Gotham again!

Feb 23, 2024

Thanks for your kind note, BG! We're so delighted to hear the mentorship was a good fit.

I've taken a ton of classes at Gotham. That's really not an exaggeration--Dialogue, Plots I and II, a one-on-one mentorship. My teachers have been across-the-board amazing, I've grown SO much as a writer (I'm really proud of some of my work I've done for assignments, and plan on using it in writing I hope one day sees the light of day, if I can.). Take classes here--you won't be disappointed. Oh, ALL of my instructors have been seasoned professionals who've imparted so much knowledge of the craft and industry to me. That's huge. I got a lot of one-on-one attention (including a one-on-one mentorship), and I really can't say enough good stuff about Gotham! Any writer will love it and learn so much. I have to say: the assignments really took me to the next level with concepts I'd been struggling with. I cherish and look back on the assignments and what I did for them a lot.

Oct 2, 2023

Akbi, we are so happy to hear this! Growth is exactly what we want for all of our students. We're cheering for you and your writing and hope to see you in class again soon!

Gotham Writers has provided professional instructors. I have taken, Comedy Stand Up, Dave LaBarca, Memoir I with Barb and Publishing with JL. I come away better for my experience with instructors. The staff is beyond caring. My sense of being there is that of being welcomed, respected, cared for and beyond. I encourage folks to investigate GW. They also have excellent resources and scholarships.

Jan 5, 2024

Wow, this made our day. So happy to hear you found a welcoming space at Gotham. We're grateful to be part of your writing life!

When Covid forced us all to shelter in place, Gotham generously made the bold move of allowing writers to attend Write-In sessions free of charge via zoom. I have been attending ever since. It has since allowed my largely solitary writer's life to expand rather than contract. Every week, writers arrive from all over the world to join the Write-In community and take advantage of this great opportunity. It's a truly creative, supportive, non-judgmental creative space like none other, and the facilitators bring both their knowledge and compassion to each writing session. I've also attended several Gotham Writers' sample classes offered free of charge, and with each I attend, come away inspired and informed by every single one.

Jan 22, 2024

We absolutely adore our Write-In community! We look forward to Friday all week and it makes our day to hear that this has been a creative and supportive space for you, Belinda. We'll hope to see you in another Write-In soon!

I stumbled on the Gotham Writers Workshop while hoping to hone my writing skills. What I found, to my delight, exceeded my expectations: a strong community of professional writers who took me seriously and invested in my craft. In no small part due to Gotham's instructors, my memoir -- The Ballad of Speedball Baby-- will be published by Blackstone Publishing in Jan 2024! I'm very glad I reached out to Gotham Writers Workshop.

https://www.amazon.com/Ballad-Speedball-Baby-Memoir/dp/B0CCW81WHP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=DLKRCQOO109Q&keywords=the+ballad+of+speedball+baby&qid=169

Oct 11, 2023

We are so delighted to hear this--congratulations on your upcoming publication!

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of taking a Memoir Writing class at Gotham Writers Workshop. The classroom setting was a safe space to be creative and vulnerable. My instructor was not only highly knowledgeable and experienced, but was also genuinely passionate about helping her students succeed. Finally, the class fostered a sense of community and we had the opportunity to engage in insightful discussions, share our work, and provide feedback. This collaborative environment not only enhanced our learning experience but also provided a support system that extended beyond the classroom. Thanks to the invaluable skills and knowledge I gained at Gotham Writers, I am now a published author. If you are looking for a safe space to hone your writing skills and start your journey to becoming a published author, I highly recommend Gotham Writers Workshop. Donna Hayes Author of: These Broken Roads: Scammed and Vindicated, One Woman's Story. (Sibylline Press)

So, so glad to hear you found our classrooms to be a safe and generative space, Donna. And congratulations on your publication! We're cheering for you.

My songwriting and playwriting courses at Gotham were a life-changing experience. They get the most amazing and experienced teachers who take their job seriously. Taking these classes made me realize why I live in NYC. I could never hope to study with master teachers like this anywhere else in the world, especially at so reasonable a price. Thanks to Gotham, I've gone on to a moderately successful international recording career. Thank you Gotham.

Oct 4, 2023

So happy to hear that you had a good experience, Robert. We just adore our teachers! Congratulations on your success and we'll hope to see you in class or at an event again soon.

It took the fiction writing class with Gotham. What a great experience! It got me writing on a consistent basis which I really needed to do. It also exposed me to several super creative people that really challenged me to step up my game. We've actually formed a writers group so we can continue the momentum. Thank you!

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Here are the 2024 finalists for the $50,000 Gotham Book Prize.

Today, the  Gotham Book Prize , an annual award that began during the first year of the pandemic to honor and support the best writing about New York City, whether fiction or nonfiction, announced its eleven 2024 finalists.

“It’s impossible to capture the richness of New York City in just one book, but the eleven finalists for the 2024 Gotham Book Prize all come pretty close,” said Gotham Book Prize co-founders Bradley Tusk and Howard Wolfson in a statement. “We can’t wait to award the $50,000 prize to one of these books in the coming months, and for the first time we’ll be doing it alongside Queens Public Library—a great institution serving the most diverse place in the world. And while we are well past the lowest points of the pandemic, the Gotham Book Prize is a way to celebrate the creative minds who have bounced back and continued to tell the tale of one of the greatest stories in the world—the City of New York.”

Here are the finalists:

Patrick Brinkley, All the Beauty in the World Aisha Abdel Gawad, Between Two Moons Colson Whitehead, Crook Manifesto Melissa Rivero, Flores and Miss Paula Patricia Park, Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim Graham Rayman, Reuven Blau, Rikers: An Oral History Maria Smilios, The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis Prudence Peiffer, The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever Alexander Stille, The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune Tyriek White, We Are a Haunting Joshunda Sanders, Women of the Post

The winner, who will be selected by a jury “ made up of leading New Yorkers and authors ,” will be named at Queens Public Library’s annual gala on June 5, 2024.

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April 17, 2024.

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Attention, bookworms: The 2024 Gotham Book Prize finalists have been announced

Add these 11 books to your reading list.

Year after year, New York City serves as the backdrop for countless works of literature, film, and TV. Today, 11 new books set in New York City have been selected as finalists for the Gotham Book Prize , and one will soon be awarded the grand prize of $50,000. 

Fiction and nonfiction works can be considered for the prize, so long as they feature New York as a topic or setting and were published within the calendar year. Their settings range from 1970s Harlem to a Brooklyn apartment to the Bronx Slave Market in 1944. They're all worth adding to your reading list. But only one will win the grand prize on June 5 during the Queens Public Library’s annual gala.

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The Gotham Book Prize began during the early days of the pandemic as a way to encourage and honor writing about New York City. Bradley Tusk, who founded independent bookstore P&T Knitwear , teamed up with Howard Wolfson, who works for Bloomberg Philanthropies, to create the prize. 

Here are the 2024 finalists

• All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Brinkley
• Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad
• Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
• Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero
• Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park
• Rikers: An Oral History by Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau
• The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis by Maria Smilios
• The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever by Prudence Peiffer
• The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune by Alexander Stille
• We Are a Haunting by Tyriek White
• Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders

The books span neighborhoods, generations, and cultures. One work of fiction, for example, is set during Ramadan in Bay Ridge. Two teenage sisters plan a summer of revelry—until several significant events upset the balance in their family and their neighborhood. Another work of fiction is set in the 1970s when Harlem is burning amid war between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army; this family is caught up in it all. In a non-fiction piece, a former museum guard shares all the nooks and crannies of the incredible Metropolitan Museum of Art.

All of the books are available for purchase at P&T Knitwear on the Lower East Side or for borrowing from Queens Public Library. 

Judges will have a difficult job this year. A jury of leading New Yorkers and authors that will select the award's winner. Panelists include  poet Safiya Sinclair, documentarian Ric Burns, writer Anna Akbari, and Queens Public Library President Dennis M. Walcott, among others. 

These titles span decades of New York’s history and reveal some amazing stories of people and places in each of its boroughs that define the city.

"These titles span decades of New York’s history and reveal some amazing stories of people and places in each of its boroughs that define the city today. I am a lifelong New Yorker and love that several of them transported me back to a period I lived through and vividly recall. But what was most beautiful to me is that each book showed me a side of the city I may never have experienced otherwise," Walcott said in a press release. 

This year's winner will be added to the auspicious list of previous winners.  Deacon King Kong by James McBride was the first Gotham Book Prize winner in 2021. Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott won in 2022. In 2023, the prize was split between two winners, The Sewing Girl’s Tale by John Wood Sweet and Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana.

The Gotham Book Prize is a way to celebrate the creative minds who have bounced back and continued to tell the tale of one of the greatest stories in the world — the City of New York.

"It’s impossible to capture the richness of New York City in just one book, but the eleven finalists for the 2024 Gotham Book Prize all come pretty close," Gotham Book Prize co-founders Bradley Tusk and Howard Wolfson said in a statement. "While we are well past the lowest points of the pandemic, the Gotham Book Prize is a way to celebrate the creative minds who have bounced back and continued to tell the tale of one of the greatest stories in the world — the City of New York."

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A Literary Tour of Moscow

It’s hard to count the exact number of great Russian writers who showed their love for Moscow. The city has attracted and prompted stories for a long time now, inspiring many to express their writing talent. Thus, Moscow’s literary sights are fully deserving of our attention, and this guide gladly presents you six of them, from museums to apartments.

1. nikolay gogol museum.

Library, Museum

2. The State Museum of Mayakovsky

3. Turgenev's Family House

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5. The Apartment of Dostoevsky

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6. The Mikhail Bulgakov Museum

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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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