Congratulations to Darlene Elias (memoir, creative nonfiction) who has been selected as the 2025 Emerging Writer Fellow. Darlene Elias is an emerging writer and poet from Western Mass. She is a Hawaiian Boricua Anti Colonial Feminist who uses literature, poetry, and spoken word to elevate and validate her own experience as a woman who is part of the diaspora in the U.S. She lives in Holyoke, a sister pueblo of Puerto Rico, with her partner and dogs. Darlene’s year as the fellow will begin in January of 2025 and will conclude in December.
“Darlene has been extremely intentional about her writing career and fostering writing communities,” says Nicole Young-Martin, founder off the program. “She has created several writing groups and has worked really hard on her craft, enrolling in various workshops. I am very excited to support Darlene this coming year, especially as she is someone who has supported a number of writers through their creative journeys.”
We also would like to congratulate runner-up, Candice Renee Person, for submitting an amazing application. Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a child, Candice Renee Person remembers staring intently and wondering at the front and back covers of the Zora Neal Hurston reader I Love Myself When I Am Laughing And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean & Impressive. It was her introduction to the world of black woman literary magic. Candice moved from the short stories of Zora Neal Hurston to her novels as well as those written by Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and many others. She fell in love with words and it was through profound storytelling that Candice found safety in language from an early age. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in English from Howard University, where she wrote dynamic short stories and articles for the school newspaper and yearbook. Later, Candice would study writing and earn a terminal degree in English through the Spalding University Low Residency MFA Creative Writing program based in Louisville, Kentucky. Candice believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for change. Recently, she founded the Chelonia Change Collective, an organization that combines storytelling and community-building practices to train and empower youth-serving professionals. As an organizer, educational consultant, and writer, Candice strives to create works that highlight the impact of community and the power of storytelling as a tool for activism.
We received 11 applications for this cycle and would like to thank each and every writer for offering us the opportunity to read their work.
Special thanks to our readers, K E Garland, Minda Honey, and Nada Samih-Rotondo for lending their talents and expertise to this year’s program. And thanks to this year’s committee, Macci Schmidt (chair), Regine Jackson (2022 Emerging Writer Fellow), Millicent Jackson and Nicole Young-Martin for facilitating this year’s program.