RAWI is a national organization that provides mentoring, community, and support for Arab American and SWANA writers.
MENTORING • RAWIFEST CONFERENCE • WORKSHOPS • ROUNDTABLES • READINGS • VIRTUAL EVENTS • MICROGRANTS •
MENTORING • RAWIFEST CONFERENCE • WORKSHOPS • ROUNDTABLES • READINGS • VIRTUAL EVENTS • MICROGRANTS •
Our Mission
We are a 501(c)(3) literary nonprofit dedicated to supporting creative and scholarly writing by writers with roots in the Arab and SWANA (Southwest Asian & North African) region.
We create liberatory space and highlight voices and people threatened by erasure.
We put on readings, panels, workshops, roundtables, conferences, and festivals that emphasize inclusivity.
Founded in 1993 as the Radius of Arab American Writers, “RAWI” means storyteller in Arabic. We help Arab and SWANA writers share their lived experiences.
Our signature event is RAWIFest, a biannual conference.
RAWIFest creates a space where we can speak among ourselves. RAWI’s biannual gathering provides a rare opportunity to bring a large number of Arab American and SWANA writers, artists, scholars, and readers into the same inclusive and welcoming space.
Our next in-person conference will occur in Fall 2027, but stay tuned for virtual offerings in Fall 2026.
$10,000
We paid 65 SWANA artists over $10,000 during RAWIFest 2025.
335
335 SWANA creatives attended our 2023 fully-hybrid Mizna+RAWIFest.
30+
For over 30 years, RAWI has fostered vital connections between writers.
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Make a donation, make a difference
$20
Funds our newsletter for one month.
$50
Pays for two writers’ submission fees to career-uplifting residencies, contests, and top literary journals.
$200
Pays one writer to present at a RAWI-organized reading, panel, or RAWIFest conference.
Custom Amount
All donations support the work of this artist-led, all-volunteer organization!