BookEnds

One Novel | One Mentor | One Year

BookEnds is an innovative, yearlong and low-residency novel revision program, giving writers the tools, support, and community to take their work from promising draft all the way to completion. Co-directed by Meg Wolitzer and Alison Fairbrother, BookEnds has a remarkable success rate: 20% of our alums have published novels, and more than 35% have literary agents. 

Take your manuscript to the next level. 

Successful applicants must demonstrate a sustained commitment to their manuscripts, as well as the ability to work well in groups (what we call “pods”), to give and receive constructive feedback. There are four mandatory virtual meetings in May-June 2027 before we meet in July 2027 at the Southampton Writers Conference. Throughout the year, fellows meet with their pods and mentors, as well as stay in close communication with the Fellowship on Slack. In January 2028, we meet for a virtual retreat. In July 2028, the cohort returns to the Southampton Writers Conference for graduation and alumni retreat.

BookEnds works.

• 20% of our alums have published novels.
• 35% of our alums are represented by literary agents. 
• 18 BookEnds novels have been published or are under contract, including at major presses like HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Red Hen Press, Zibby Books, and more. 
• BookEnds novels have been chosen for Reese’s Book Club, reviewed in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and selected as New YorkTimes’ Editors’ Choices and People magazine "Best New Books."
• Our alums have won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, the Women’s Prose Prize, and the Blue Moon Novel Award, among others.
• BookEnds continues to support its vibrant alumni community, nearly 100 writers strong, well beyond graduation. 
• In service to our remarkable alums, BookEnds maintains an active shared worksite for writing accountability; holds regular online writing sessions; provides robust support and advice for querying agents and submitting novels for publication; and holds online and in-person gatherings around the country.