The University of Massachusetts Amherst
HFA - College of Humanities & Fine Arts view HFA submenu
  • The Program

    Among the oldest and most respected MFA programs in the country, the MFA for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a three-year program dedicated to writing workshops and the completion of a book-length manuscript in prose or poetry. The MFA for Poets and Writers champions the creation of new and important writing, and for over fifty years has been a place for writers to concentrate on their work and to write their books.

    Applications are due December 15, 2023! More information can be found on our admissions page.

  • Juniper Initiative for Arts and Action

    Founded in 2004, the Juniper Initiative for Arts and Action engages the community at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in Western Massachusetts, and beyond with outstanding and diverse literary programming and provides opportunities for MFA candidates to develop professional skills, participate in critical issues of the day, and cultivate a network of professional and academic colleagues. 

  • Paperbark Magazine

    Paperbark was developed by a visionary group of faculty, staff, graduate students, and alumni of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and is a collaboration between the School of Earth and Sustainability, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and the UMass Libraries.

    Issue 04 is available for purchase now.

    Photo Credit: Caroline Donaghey

News

Announcing the 2023 MFA Awards

April 19, 2023

  Academy of American Poets Prize Judge: Michael Robins   Winner: Rachelle Toarmino Like branches of a tree, these poems enlarge the relationships and tensions of being human. We might enjoy the pe...

Juniper Initiative for Literary Arts and Action at the University of Massachusetts Amherst receives $11,600 grant from the Mass Cultural Council

November 01, 2022

The Juniper Initiative for Literary Arts and Action received $11,600 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support outstanding literary arts programming in Western Mass. Funding from MCC...

Announcing the 2022 MFA Award Winners

May 20, 2022

Congratulations to all!...

More News »

Events

Sep
28

Visiting Writers Series: Lisa Olstein

Old Chapel
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Oct
12

Art Sustainability Activism Interdisciplinary Discussion

Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Oct
16

Bill McKibben on Ecology, Culture, and Democracy

Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

More Events »

2023:

Shastri Akella: The Sea Elephants. Macmillan Publishers

Gabriel Bump: The New Naturals. Hachette

Nathan Hill: Wellness. Penguin Random House

Dorothea Lasky: The ShiningWave Books

Yvette Ndlovu: Drinking from Graveyard WellsUniversity Press of Kentucky

Lisa Olstein: Dream ApartmentCopper Canyon Press

Caroline Rayner: The Moan WildsShabby Doll Press

 

2022:

Sadie Dupuis: Cry Perfume. Black Ocean

Sueyeun Juliette Lee: Aerial Concave Without Cloud. Nightboat Books

Full list