Writers’ Conference Scholarships
Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway
January 17-20, 2025
Seaview Hotel, Atlantic City area, NJ
You are not required to apply for a scholarship to attend the Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway. Scholarships exist for those who would like to attend the Winter Getaway but need financial assistance in order to register. It is entirely free to apply for a scholarship to attend the Winter Getaway. See FAQs.
Recipients may choose from workshops in fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting and storytelling. In addition to workshops, the conference also offers plentiful writing time, readings, open mics, yoga, dancing at the Getaway Disco and more.
The application deadline for this year has passed. Sign up for our email list to be notified of future opportunities.
Or, donate to our scholarship fund.
“I won’t lie—I was nervous about attending the Winter Getaway. I had never previously attended ANY writer’s conference or retreat, and friends who have attended comparable (though I use that term loosely) events offered warnings about the elitism and airs that tend to haunt them. I can’t express how marvelous it was to find the Getaway completely devoid of such atmosphere. Never have I felt so welcomed by such a massive gathering of complete strangers. This is clearly the product of vision and hard work, and I sincerely appreciate the thoughtful design that has been implemented in crafting such a magical event.”
~ Benjamin, West Hatfield, MA, Scholarship recipient
Available Scholarships
Many of these opportunities are named after beloved Winter Getaway community members to commemorate their untimely deaths and celebrate their lives. We love and miss our friends, and are honored to offer these opportunities in their memory. There are 4 categories available:
1. Faculty Memorial Scholarship (for all writers ages 18+)
In memory of our Getaway faculty, full tuition and double room package scholarship seats will be sponsored as follows:
- Toni Brown – 3 seats
2. Community Memorial Scholarship (for all writers ages 18+)
In memory of our beloved Murphy Writing participants and community members, full tuition and double room package scholarship seats will be sponsored as follows:
- Gina Larkin – 1 seat
3. SCOSA Scholarship (for writers ages 60+ residing in NJ’s Atlantic County)
2 tuition-only scholarships for writers ages 60+ who live in Atlantic County will be funded by SCOSA.
4. Robert Hayden Scholarship (for writers of color ages 18+)
This is an additional opportunity for a full tuition and double room package scholarship for writers of color. Writers of color are invited to simultaneously apply for this opportunity along with the opportunities listed above.
The application deadline for this year has passed. Sign up for our email list to be notified of future opportunities.
Or, donate to our scholarship fund.
How It Works
Application Cost: Free!
It is entirely free to apply for a scholarship to attend the Winter Getaway. There is a space on the application form to make an optional donation, if you wish.
Application Process
The process is streamlined through a single application form to make it easy to simultaneously apply for multiple opportunities. You may apply for any or all of the scholarships listed above, as long as you meet their requirements. The most important requirement is that you are a first-time Winter Getaway participant. See the full requirements on the application form.
Judging
A limited number of scholarship seats are available. A panel of judges will review submissions and make selections based on a combination of merit and need.
Award
Our Memorial Scholarship and Robert Hayden Scholarship opportunities cover tuition and a double room package (3 nights accommodation in a shared room, 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner and a cake reception), a value of $1,030. The SCOSA Scholarship completely covers tuition for any unfilled three-day workshop of your choice, a value of $570. If you are selected by the judges to receive any of these scholarships, you will need to pay for personal transportation, other dinners and a $25 fee as a gesture of your commitment to attending the conference. Writers with extreme financial need may request that the $25 fee be waived.
Deadlines
Scholarship application Deadline: Oct. 1, and the recipients will be announced on this page by Nov. 20.
The application deadline for this year has passed. Sign up for our email list to be notified of future opportunities.
Or, donate to our scholarship fund.
Donate
You can donate to our scholarship fund.
Your contribution will enable additional writers in need to experience the warmth and inspiration that the Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway offers.
We truly appreciate any contribution you are able to give.
Scholarship Recipients
Thanks to our community’s generosity, we were able to offer 14 scholarships to attend the 31st annual Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway! None of this would have been possible without our donors.
We’re thrilled to meet all of our 2025 scholarship recipients this January. Congratulations to:
Turiya Abdur-Raheem of Atlantic City, NJ
Emily Alex of Philadelphia, PA
Dina Billig of Brooklyn, NY
Hermelinda Hernandez Monjaras of Fresno, CA
Zachary Kluckman of Albuquerque, NM
Isabella Newman of Richmond, VA
Valerie Oliver of Atlantic City, NJ
Ingrid Piña of Kingwood, TX
Lilly Purdy of Sudbury, MA
Naledi Raspberry of Miami, FL
Kat Scott of Baltimore, MD
Amber Sosa of Burlington, NJ
Eunice Tan of Fairfax, VA
Maya Yoder of Dixon, CA
Tamara Zbrizher of Denville, NJ
Sign up for our email list to be notified about future scholarship opportunities.
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Previous Recipients
Congratulations to our previous scholarship recipients:
2024
Peter Able of Egg Harbor City, NJ
Summer Hill Seven Akbar of Galloway, NJ
Caitlin Cacciatore of Arverne, NY
Susan Chute of New Paltz, NY
Mary Cowhey of Florence, MA
Gianna D’Andrea of Manahawkin, NJ
Triston Dabney of Martinsburg, WV
Katie DeBonville of Boston, MA
Sara Dudo of Estell Manor, NJ
Abdelrahman ElGendy of Pittsburgh, PA
Sofia Garner of Pittsburgh, PA
Ysabel Y. González of Washington, NJ
Amy Hardy of West Falls, NY
Kayla Harris of Bordentown, NJ
Lora Heller of New York, NY
Ian Heller of New York, NY
Alex Idavoy of Matawan, NJ
Kimberly Jackson of Fort Worth, TX
Donna Kaz of Blue Point, NY
Corey Lacy of Dover, DE
Nicole Lanzoni of Galloway, NJ
Kit Lok of Galloway, NJ
Heidi Mae of Atlantic City, NJ
Melanie Magri of Hazlet, NJ
Celeste Martin of Palmyra, NJ
Dottie McNasby of Vineland, NJ
Deborah Morales of Barnegat, NJ
Elizabeth Myers of Hammonton, NJ
Casey Rosamond of Atlantic City, NJ
Natalie Schriefer of Trumbull, CT
Caedra Scott-Flaherty of Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Eileen Twiggs of Congers, NY
2023
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
Marty Correia of New York, NY
Lindsey Hoover of Philadelphia, PA
Monica Shah of Edison, NJ
Robert Hayden Scholarship
Tangela Mitchell of New York, NY
Kira Witkin of Long Island, NY
Annette Zhao of Troy, MI
2022
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
Sutapa Das of Durham, NC
Lia Di Stefano of Califon, NJ
Rochelle of Wenonah, NJ
Matthue Roth of Brooklyn, NY
Robert Hayden Scholarship
Adedayo Agarau of Coralville, IA
Amanda Elliott of Burlington, NJ
Serrina Zou of New York, NY
2021
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
Kara Knickerbocker of Conneautville, PA
Maria Picone of Myrtle Beach, SC
Robert Hayden Scholarship
Zoe Briscoe of Warrenton, NC
Aerik Francis of Denver, CO
Shannon Wolf of Lafayette, LA
2020
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First place: Nikeyta Hill of Rowland Heights, CA
Second place tie: Jung Hae Chae of South Orange, NJ
Second place tie: Lynne Schmidt of Norway, ME
U.S.1 Poets’ Cooperative Scholarship
Recipient: Rebecca Rodriguez of Pleasantville, NJ
Robert Hayden Scholarship
Recipient: Erin Jin Mei O’Malley of Philadelphia, PA
2018
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place: Lindsey Danis, a writer from Kingston, NY
Second Place Tie: Jenna Bazzell, a poet from Allentown, PA
Second Place Tie: Jennifer Flescher, a writer from Auburndale, MA
Jan-ai Scholarship
Recipient: Alec Osthoff, a writer from Laramie, WY
Recipient: Shurouq Ibrahim, a writer from Hilliard, OH
Recipient: Amira-Sade Moodie, a poet from Chesapeake, VA
2017
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place: Heather Bowlan, a poet from Philadelphia, PA
Second Place: Shari Simmons, a writer from Williamstown, NJ
Jan-ai Scholarship
Recipient: Anuradha Bhowmik, a poet from Northfield, NJ
Recipient: Dallas Woodburn, a writer from Castro Valley, CA
Elke Hirsh Music Award
Recipient: Amy Chu-Fong, a musician from East Hanover, NJ
2016
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place: Tiffany Krupa, a poet from Santa Barbara, CA
Second Place: Debbie Bradford, a writer from Vernon, CT
Jan-ai Scholarship
Recipient: Peter LaBerge, a poet from Stamford, CT
Recipient: Cinderella Saavedra, a poet from Las Vegas, NM
Elke Hirsh Music Award
Recipient: Barbare Mchedlishvili, a musician from Ventnor, NJ
Screenwriting Scholarship
Recipient: LaShawn Williams, a writer from Camden, NJ
2015
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place – Sam Cha, a poet from Cambridge, MA
Second Place – Heather Bryant, a writer from Sunnyside, NY
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Shevaun Brannigan, a poet from Philadelphia, PA
Second Place – Benjamin Roney-Yeager, a writer from West Hatfield, MA
2014
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place – Lori Lamothe, a poet from Templeton, MA
Second Place – TM de Vos, a writer from Oakland Township, MI
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Caits Meissner, a poet from New York, NY
Second Place – Sara Graybeal, a writer from Philadelphia, PA
2013
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place – Kelly McQuain, a poet from Philadelphia, PA
Second Place – Helen Cooke, a writer from Haddon Heights, NJ
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Travis DuBose, a writer from Philadelphia, PA
Second Place – Carolyne Whelan, a poet from Pittsburgh, PA
2012
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place – Daniel Wallace, a writer from Philadelphia, PA
Second Place – Elizabeth H. Barbato, a poet from Highland Park, NJ
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Cate Stevens-Davis, a writer from Pittsburgh, PA
Second Place – Erika Jeffers, a poet from New York, NY
2011
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place – Amy Small-McKinney, a poet from Blue Bell, PA
Second Place – Candace Stargell, a writer from Marietta, GA
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Armin Tolentino, a poet from Newark, NJ
Second Place – Jeffrey Markovitz, a writer from Philadelphia, PA
Honorable Mention – Nissa Lee, a poet from Haddon Heights, NJ
Honorable Mention – Stacey Balkun, a poet from Piscataway, NJ
2010
Toni Brown Memorial Scholarship
First Place – Marylisa W. DeDomenicis, a poet from Northfield, NJ
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Christopher Moore, a poet from Ventnor, NJ
Second Place – Meghan Privitello, a poet from Ventnor, NJ
Honorable Mention – Stephanie Cawley, a poet from Cape May Court House, NJ
Honorable Mention – Donna Huneke, a writer from Lumberton, NJ
Honorable Mention – Amy L. Meng, a poet from Livingston, NJ
2009
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Emma Eisenberg, a writer from New York City, NY
2008
Jan-ai Scholarship
First Place – Rachel Bunting, a poet from Mount Laurel, NJ
About the Scholarship Funders
Murphy Writing of Stockton University
Murphy Writing of Stockton University, the Winter Getaway’s parent company, offers challenging and supportive workshops and resources for poets, writers and teachers. Founder Peter E. Murphy has pledged to match all donations we receive up to $5,000.
You—Our Community
Murphy Writing owes many thanks to the generous members of our community who have assisted us in offering this many scholarships. We could not do this without you. When we call for scholarship donations, you answer with joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
SCOSA
The Stockton Center on Successful Aging is funding 5 tuition-only scholarships for the 2025 Winter Getaway. We are so grateful that they are helping us change writers’ lives.