WIO! Prize Applications Close on September 9th!
The graphic was designed by Jorge Gutierrez, an artist and WIO! alum thriving with HIV.
This week, Donja R. Love announced the inaugural WIO! Prize for playwrights living with HIV. This $5,000 prize is funded by Emmy Award-winning actor Billy Porter and GLAAD to honor and hold space for writers living with HIV.
All U.S.-based playwrights living with HIV are welcome to submit a full-length play of at least 60 pages and a one-page playwright’s statement (500 words or less) at letswriteitout.com*. The statement should address how the writer’s HIV status influences their artistry (if at all) and what receiving the WIO! Prize would mean to them.
“The WIO! Prize was created as a way of using Write It Out! to further center and support people living with HIV. This prize also boldly declares, whether public or not, that there are many amazing playwrights living with HIV in the American Theater who deserve adequate resources to alleviate financial strain so they can focus solely on storytelling,” - Donja R. Love, creator of the award.
The winner of the 2021 Write It Out! Prize will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and an opportunity to work with a professional dramaturg to develop a new work. We are grateful to Mr. Porter for funding this prize and supporting this incredible program!
*Write It Out! prioritizes the confidentiality of all applicants. Should the finalists or ultimate recipient wish not to be named, Write It Out! will respect their confidentiality. Requesting confidentiality will not influence the selection process.
NQT is proud to support program creator and leader Donja R. Love the WIO! prize alongside our partner organizations: The Lark, MOBI, and The Each-Other Project.