Past Programs

The Memoir Project led writing workshops for seniors and provided training to a corps of instructors & coaches. The program had three main goals: to teach students the basics of effective storytelling and help them shape lived experiences, to document their lives and preserve their insights for future generations and their families, and to give seniors a meaningful artistic experience.

With the support of the NEA, GrubStreet presents “Publish it Forward,” a lecture series dedicated to bringing some of the most innovative and forward thinking writers, publishers and agents to Boston. With this series, GrubStreet aims to educate and inspire Boston-area writers to think creatively and optimistically about new opportunities and new models made possible by the digital age.

Thanks to a generous eight-year grant from an anonymous donor, The GrubStreet National Book Prize was awarded annually from 2006-2014 to authors who published beyond their first book of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Each winner received a cash award ranging from $500 - $5,000.

The first of its kind, the Launch Lab taught debut authors how to be effective marketers and advocates of their work. Called “relentlessly practical and totally motivating,” the Launch Lab attracted national attention, and guided the launch campaigns of Marjan Kamali's "Together Tea," Michael Blanding's "The Map Thief," and others.

When the City of Boston declared September 12, 2020 Black Joy Day, we created a Writing Black Joy contest to hear true stories about joy—specifically Black joy: moments, scenes, memories, that celebrate Black families, relationships, culture, and history.