Recipient of Martha Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing (MVICW) Poet Fellowship 2021

Congratulations to the First and Second place winners of the Voices of the Color Fellowships from The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing.

I’m extremely proud to announce that I’ve been chosen as one of the recipient of the MVICW Poet Fellowship 2021. I’m extremely thankful to the Director Alexander Weisntein and the Poetry Judge Adrian Matejka for selecting my work and giving me this wonderful opportunity. I’m looking forward to attending the Virtual Summer Writing Conference this year from June 06-June 13, 2021.

This fellowship marks a big milestone in my creative journey and I hope to hone my skills further.

Adrian Matejka was born in Nuremberg, Germany and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of The Devil’s Garden, which won the New York/New England Award, and Mixology, a winner of the 2008 National Poetry Series. Mixology was also a finalist for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature. His third collection, The Big Smoke, focuses on Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight champion of the world. The Big Smoke was awarded the 2014 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was also a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award, 2014 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and 2014 Pulitzer Prize in poetry. His most recent book, Map to the Stars, was published by Penguin in 2017. Among Matejka’s other honors are the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award, the Julia Peterkin Award, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Bellagio Center, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and a Simon Fellowship from United States Artists. He teaches at Indiana University and is Poet Laureate of Indiana. 

The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing is a summer Writer’s Retreat founded to give writers the opportunity to develop their craft.The Institute offers a comprehensive week-long focus on writing, providing writers with the necessary time to devote to their art, in the idyllic setting of the Vineyard. Each summer, the institute invites award-winning authors and poets, literary journal editors, and university creative writing faculty from around the country to lead writing workshops, work one-on-one with individuals, and provide the necessary tips and tools for editing and publishing their work.

Happy National Poetry Month!!

Megha Sood