Overview

We live in an age where writers are more in danger than ever—many have been forced to flee their countries because of the nature of their work and their creative activities. At Mason, the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center partners with organizations to provide temporary refuge, a safe place to work, and an audience for these writers.

Depending on the length of their visit, writers who join the Cheuse Center through this program receive space to work on their projects and also participate in the D.C. metro and Mason campus literary communities. They also engage in public events and help create connections between different cultures. This program is the Center’s response towards supporting a world where freedom of expression is a treasured value.   

Our donors make this work possible and their gifts help provide housing, financial assistance, and community building for these writers. A one-year residency for a writer-at-risk requires $60,000 in funding. You can help by making a gift online. 

If you would like information on other methods of giving, or to discuss how you can help support this important work, please contact our development liaison, Alecia Bryan, at abryan4@gmu.edu or (703) 993-3503.   

Though we host many writers who are in permanent exile from their homes, in this section we feature writers who came to visit us and work under perilous conditions or are not able to return home.