Hedgebrook

Mission

Hedgebrook supports visionary women writers whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come.

Description

Hedgebrook's core purpose is equality for women's voices to achieve a just and peaceful world. We hold the vision of a world where women's stories and perspectives are increasingly influential in all spheres of public discourse. Our more than 2,000 alumnae, including Gloria Steinem, Ruth Ozeki, Ijeoma Oluo, Carmen Maria Machado, Brandi Carlile, and Jacqueline Woodson reach millions of people through their books, plays, films, poetry, music, graphic novels, OpEds, articles, essays, blogs, and TEDTalks. In recent years, Hedgebrook Alumnae have gone on to win MacArthur "Genius," Pulitzer, Tony, Obie, Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe awards.

The 36-year-old Writers in Residence (WIR) program is the heart and soul of Hedgebrook's mission. This internationally-renowned program brings writers throughout the year to our private retreat on Whidbey Island. Our unique and highly competitive online selection process for the WIR program allows writers and reviewers to participate from around the world in their specialty genre(s). Each accepted application is considered based on the uniqueness of the voice, the strength of the proposal, the subject matter, and the clarity of answers to questions like "Why Hedgebrook, why now?"

Hedgebrook's deepest impact comes from our dedication to radical hospitality in order to nourish each writer's whole being. Because of our longstanding commitment to inclusion and access, writers attend free of charge, and their residencies are supported through fundraising. Hedgebrook awards fully-funded residencies to writers from around the world who are writing in all literary genres, emerging and established, and range in age from 18 to 85. Last year, our Writers-in-Residence included: 88% POC; 43% LGBTQIA+; 22% Disability; and 34% Low Income/Working Class. Once they leave Hedgebrook, alumnae stay connected to the writers with whom they were in residence, as well as alumnae where they live, through our active community.

100% of your Giving Tuesday donation will go towards supporting some of the most important, prolific writers of our time through our vast array of virtual and in-person programs. In 2023 and 2024, Hedgebrook alumnae genius is being highlighted at public events like Playwrights, Songwriters, and Screenwriters Showcases in Seattle and on Whidbey Island.  Our influence reaches across the globe, across demographics, and across genres.

As Hedgebrook alumna Gloria Steinem explained, "It has always been crucial that Hedgebrook put women's voices—marginalized for so long and at such cost to the truth—in the center of the human narrative, but in this dangerous time, I think it may be literally lifesaving. We've been sitting around campfires for millennia, telling stories, so our minds are organized by narrative, not facts or statistics. Only stories help us to break through old roles that normalize domination, and Hedgebrook is a global campfire."

Recognition

We are grateful to our supporters, including: Amazon Literary Partnership, Arcora Foundation, ARTSFUND, BECU, The California Wellness Foundation, Conrad Hilton Foundation, Elliott Bay Book Company, Ford Foundation, The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Ms. Foundation, Narrative Initiative, Race Forward, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, Ryan Swanson Lawyers, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Unicorn Authors Club, Women's March, US Bank, the Carol Shields Prize Foundation, and Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC.