Memphis Writing Workshop

The Memphis Writing Workshop is a community creative writing series sponsored by the University of Memphis and led by acclaimed poet and professor Marcus Wicker, Orgill Chair of English. All adult community members interested in writing poetry and/or flash fiction are invited to attend. 

This writing series will be hosted at Beale Street Landing on the Memphis Riverfront 2:00 – 3:30pm every Saturday from 2/21/26 to 3/28/26. Participants in the first three classes (2/21, 2/28, 3/7) will be guided through a writing prompt based on a provided poem or piece of short prose designed to generate a complete draft on the spot. The last three classes (3/14, 3/21, 3/28) will include workshops of participant writing where they are encouraged to share their own work and receive feedback. These events are free to the public.

Recipient of fellowships from the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies and the National Endowment of the Arts, Marcus Wicker is the author of Silencer, Maybe the Saddest Thing, and DEAR MOTHERSHIP, a new book of poems forthcoming from Ecco (September 2026). Director of the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing, Wicker will lead the Memphis Writing Workshop events in order to create a space for community members to engage with creative writing. Underwritten by the Orgill family with support from the Memphis River Parks Partnership, these events are designed for adult writers at all levels who would like to learn about a variety of writers and aesthetics, build community relationships, receive writing feedback, and tell their stories.

For inquiries or additional information, please contact Gabrielle Alston at [email protected].