Picture yourself atop the Capitoline, the citadel of the earliest Romans and the greatest of Rome’s Seven Hills. Gazing down on the domes and pillars of the city, you breathe in the Mediterranean air and begin the novel you've always dreamed of writing. Many famous writers found inspiration in Italy’s capital city, and you can too when you study abroad.
At John Cabot University (JCU), experts in the craft help students from all over the world hone their talent and gain insights into the professional writing industry. Both on and off campus, inspiring Italian literary events and creative culture abound!
Read on to learn just how studying abroad in Rome is ideal for today’s up-and-coming creative writers:
Learn from Award Winning Writers-in-Residence When You Study Abroad
Founded in 2009, JCU’s Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation is a fantastic resource for study-abroad students hoping to master their craft. This year, the Institute’s writer-in-residence is New York City-based novelist, poet, and screenwriter Susan Minot. Her experience winning France’s ‘Prix Femina Étranger,’ being published in a dozen countries, and having one of her novels turned into a major motion picture is sure to give JCU students valuable lessons on the creative process and the wider world of international publishing.
Alongside visiting guests, creative writing students at JCU are also taught by passionate writers with experience working in the field. Creative Writing faculty for 2016 include award-winning fiction writer Michael Carroll, poet David Keplinger, novelist Elizabeth Geoghegan, and poet/translator Elena Buia Rutt. Whether you’re interested in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or literary translation, this Institute will give you the support and guidance you need to succeed. Courses run from May 18 to June 25.
International Students in Italy Get to Soak up Italy’s Creative Atmosphere
Inspired by the vibrancy of the city and its cultural climate, many of the world’s greatest writers have found inspiration here. They range from English Romantic poets Keats, Byron and Shelley to German author Johann Wolfgang Goethe and American writers Henry James and Edgar Allan Poe. More recently, Rome has welcomed authors such as Gore Vidal, Zadie Smith, and Muriel Spark.
Besides its proud literary history, Rome has qualities that lend itself particularly to study and creative work for international students in Italy. Numerous cafes and piazzas boast beautiful views of ancient monuments to muse upon. Magnificent galleries and libraries provide grand settings for your own artistic work. It’s difficult to walk along cobblestone streets woven through such artful architecture without feeling inspired to record your experience, whether by camera, paintbrush, or pen. In short, Rome is (and has long been) a creative haven.
Graduate Courses in Creative Writing
John Cabot University's Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation will also be offering graduate courses during the summer of 2016. There will be workshops in poetry, fiction writing, and literary translation, as well as the study of literature for creative writers.
You’ll Attend Thought-Provoking Literary Events When You Study Abroad
In addition to first-rate courses on writing and access to this inspiring atmosphere, students who study in Italy at JCU can attend a range of elite literary events.
You'll have front-row access to the Institute for Creative Writing's readings series – intimate sessions with acclaimed writers like Eleanor Wilner Peter Hughes, Charles Lambert, Jonathon Levi, and more. You can even gather among like-minded peers in the school’s Literature Club, and help plan fun campus events that bring literature to life.
Each June, Rome hosts the ‘Letterature’ International Literary Festival, a month of exciting, world-class literary exhibitions, readings, and workshops.
Inspiration is at your fingertips when you expose yourself to the spectacular sights and thriving literary scene here in the Eternal City!
Would you like to study abroad in Italy?
Visit JCU for information about getting started.
