Welcome to WWPH

Washington Writers’ Publishing House is the longest, continuously operating nonprofit, cooperative, literary organization in the United States. Established in 1975 in our nation’s capital, we have published over 100 volumes of poetry as well in more recent years fiction and nonfiction. The press sponsors three annual competitions for writers living in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and the winners of each category (one each in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction) comprise our annual slate. In 2021, WWPH launched an online literary journal, WWPH WRITES to expand our mission to further the creative work of writers in our region. In 2023, WWPH added creative nonfiction to our annual press slate. In 2024, WWPH launched our biennial works in translation series and started to undertake WWPH Literary Salons, free-of-charge workshops. readings, and discussions to engage with new and established writers and foster the richness and diversity of the literary arts in our community.

WWPH has received recent grants from the Amazon Literary Partnership, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the Trawick Foundation. Many individuals have also assisted, encouraged, and supported our work through the years. As a 501c3 organization, all donations are tax-deductible. As a cooperative (all-volunteer) press, all monies raised go toward our authors and books, representing and celebrating the diversity of the literary arts in the DMV.

Our Authors and our Unique Cooperative Press

Some nationally known poets and writers the press has published include Grace Cavalieri, Myra Sklarew, David Ebenbach, E. Ethelbert Miller, Elisavietta Ritchie, Kim Roberts, David Taylor, and many more. We seek to represent and further the diverse perspectives and voices of writers in the DMV both in our organization and in the manuscript we select to publish. We select our books through our annual contest. As a cooperative or all-volunteer press, our authors commit to at least two years of service to the press–and many devote more years to furthering WWPH and the literary arts in our community. MORE details about submissions here on our FAQs page. Thank you for being part of our WWPH community!

This Is What America Looks Like — Caroline Bock, Jona Colson

Critics Say

"Among the 111 pieces featured are a remarkable number of standouts — far too many to highlight here. But I was especially moved by the breadth of humanity on display in all its sadness, joy, rage, despair, and humor..."

—Washington Independent Review of Books on This Is What America Looks Like: Poetry & Fiction from DC, Maryland, Virginia

"This Is What America Looks Like is wildly diverse with short stories...and poetry speaking to relationships and experiences that redefine what identity means."

—Washington City Paper on This Is What America Looks Like: Poetry & Fiction from DC, Maryland, Virginia

"Refreshingly fearless and, like a subway's third rail, hums with electricity."

—Adam Ross, editor of the Sewanee Review on Adam Schwartz's The Rest of The World

"These brilliant poems stun the page..."

—Zakia Henderson-Brown on Steven Leyva's The Understudy's Handbook

"When I read the first poem in Words We Might One Day Say, I thought Holly Karapetkova was related to Gabriel Marquez. A surprise seems to appear in many of her poems. Some come close to being magical. I like how this woman writes about childhood. I want to grow old with this book."

——E. Ethelbert Miller on Holly Karapetkova's Words We Might One Day Say