Great Smokies Writing Program Offers Fall 2026 Classes for Writers in the Community

The Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC Asheville is now accepting registrations for Fall 2026 classes led by professional writers in comedy, fiction, poetry, family and community storytelling, and more.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — August 5, 2026 — The Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC Asheville is now accepting registrations for Fall 2026 classes led by professional writers in comedy, fiction, poetry, family and community storytelling, and more. Students can apply through the Program website.

Our classes are open to all, regardless of experience level. Try out a new genre or sharpen your longstanding writing practice, and join an engaged community of writers while you’re at it!

Classes carry academic credit awarded through UNC Asheville. Fall classes are either 5 or 10 weeks in length, with start dates in September. One class will be offered virtually, and the rest are in-person.

A limited number of full scholarships are available to those with financial need. Information about tuition and scholarships is available on the Great Smokies Writing Program website.

Faculty members will read their work and discuss their upcoming classes at Malaprop’s Bookstore on Sunday, August 16 at 5 p.m. Free registration required here.

Fall Classes:

• “Humor as a Radical Act: A Comedy Workshop” with Tamara Federici (in-person)
• “Family and Community Storykeeping” with Tiana Kennell (virtual)
• “Portrait of the Artist: Artists’ Statements, Ars Poetica, Manifestos, & Self-Portrait Poems” with Brit Washburn (in-person)
• “Creativity within Confines: An Exploration of Poetic Forms” with Jacquelyn Nasti (in-person)
• “Finding Forms in Fiction” with Elliot Reed (in-person)
• “Getting Published: Landing Your Work at Literary Magazines, Traditional Houses, & Everything in Between” with Savannah Brooks (in-person)
• “Appalachian Ecopoetics: A Poetry Workshop” with Tim Earley (in-person)

The program is also offering two non-credit workshops this fall:

• “Company Worth Keeping: Crafting Compelling Poetic Speakers” with Jay Aelick (3-session in-person workshop)
• “The Power of Place in Fiction” with Jacqui Castle (1-session in-person workshop)

About UNC Asheville

UNC Asheville is North Carolina’s public liberal arts and sciences university of the  future, marked by technology-driven solutions, hands-on learning, a  student-centered focus and career and professional readiness. With  award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 60+ academic programs, including  a dual degree in Engineering/Mechatronics with NC State, the University provides free tuition and fees through its Access Asheville program as well as merit scholarships to all first-year students. In the US News & World Report 2026  edition of Best Colleges, UNC Asheville is ranked No. #10 in Top Public  Schools, and No. #12 in Princeton Review’s 2026 Top 50 Guide to Green Colleges.  Known as the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville student-athletes compete in 16  NCAA Division I Teams in the Big South Conference. For more information, please  visit: unca.edu.

About the Great Smokies Writing Program

For over 25 years, The Great Smokies Writing Program has offered university-level community classes for writers of all experience levels in Western North Carolina and beyond. In-state tuition is highly affordable, and each course carries academic credit awarded through UNC Asheville, but students need not be enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Our program allows writers to join a supportive learning community and to enjoy the mentorship of professional writers. We also host numerous events at UNC Asheville and other venues in the Asheville area, which are open to the public, including readings, craft talks, and panels with writers, editors, and publishing professionals.