Hi! Thanks for your interest in the She Who Has No Master(s) Mentorship Program. This is a creative writing mentorship led by and designed for Vietnamese and SE Asian diasporic women and nonbinary writers. We're glad you’re here. Read on for some information.

If you need these instructions in Vietnamese, click here. Nếu bạn cần hướng dẫn tiếng Việt, vui lòng nhấn vào đây.

Who are you, and what is this? 

She Who Has No Master(s), or SWHNM, is a collective of womxn and nonbinary writers of the Vietnamese diaspora who engage in collaborative, polyvocal, and hybrid-poetic works to enact a politics of connection across diasporic boundaries. Through a collaborative writing and art process, SWHNM explores multi-voiced collectivity, encounters, in-between spaces and (dis)places of the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian diaspora. SWHNM has a fluid and evolving membership.

She Who Has No Master(s) initiated a creative writing mentorship program in 2022 led by and designed for Vietnamese and SE Asian diasporic women and nonbinary writers through the Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network (DVAN). SWHNM is now an independent collective and our own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and this mentorship program has no affiliation with DVAN. 

The centering of Vietnamese and SE Asian perspectives is important because in most educational settings the focus on subject matter and perspectives of women/nonbinary SE Asian diasporic women is marginal, if not totally unaddressed. In creating educational spaces that center those viewpoints, we create a nourishing space in which aspiring writers can see themselves, explore, and embrace their own particularities, and create more expansively. These mentorships will address both creative and professional aspects involved in the writing life. These offerings fulfill a dire contemporary need in our nation’s current environment for creative writing education.

Who are the mentors, and what do they do? 

The SWHNM mentors range depending on the cycle. During the inaugural mentorship program in 2022, there were 4 mentors (all members of the SWHNM collective) partnered with 4 writers and literary artists based out of the United States, Vietnam, and Switzerland. 

The mentors are writers who have benefited from belonging to supportive and inclusive writing and artist communities who wish to mentor promising writers of Vietnamese and/or SE Asian descent–folx who are at earlier stages in their writing careers than we are.

Our mentors compose poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, criticism, as well as hybrid and multimedia forms (including graphic forms, among others), and are looking to pair with mentees working in these forms. 

Our mentors are published authors and/or established artists who are members of or connected to SWHNM and thus experienced with the collaborative and creative ethos of our collective that also informs the spirit of our mentorships.

Past mentors include: Diana Khoi Nguyen, Hoa Nguyen, Lily Hoang, and Vi Khi Nao.

For our 2025 cycle, mentors will be: Cathy Linh Che, MyLoan Dinh, Abbigail Rosewood, Sophia Terazawa, Nhã Thuyên.

The SWHNM mentorship program in 2025 expands its concept and its community by reaching out to the writers who live inside Vietnam with writing practices in Vietnamese, with the hope to create a more open space for a plurality of Vietnamese literature. 

How does the mentorship work? 

The first year of mentorship took place in 2022. This year (2025) will be our second. Each mentor takes on one mentee. Mentors and mentees (fellows) will meet virtually for at least 30 minutes every month to discuss topics pertinent to each pair. These topics may range from: prompts for writing, feedback fellows’ writing, and craft elements to professional details such as submitting to publications, finding an agent, writing a book proposal, sending a manuscript out to contests/open reading periods, applying to graduate school, to name a few. Some of us, though not all, are willing to read and give feedback on fellows’ work—within certain limits, which mentors can specify. On your application you may specify what types of mentorship you are looking for. If you are selected for a mentorship, we will use the information in your application to make the best mentor match for your needs.

In addition, mentors may periodically arrange panels and events for the mentorship collective; we hope to host panels on topics helpful for fellows as a group, and will collaborate with fellows to determine these topics. We may also offer some events and panels that are open to the general public.

SWHNM is a collective and makes decisions as a group, as well as shares the labor of running both the collective and this mentorship. That said, the particulars of individual mentors’ engagement with fellows depends on their particular circumstances and on the nature of each pairing’s relationship. The only requirement of the mentorship is the monthly meetings.

Who are the Fellows, and what do they do? 

Mentees should be passionate and committed to exploring creative writing, ready to generate new creative work, engage in revision processes, and be capable of working both independently as well as from writing prompts given by mentors. Mentors will work with mentees to tailor creative writing guidance that meets the mentees’ specific interests and needs.

Past fellows have been promising writers and artists who are serious and dedicated to their journey as a writer/literary artist. Just like with the mentors, the depth of individual fellows’  involvement depends on their particular circumstances. The only requirement for fellows  is the monthly meeting with mentors. 

There may be opportunities for further engagement with the mentorship program and SWHNM collective such as planning panels and events, as well as participating in collective readings, performances, and exhibitions. We are interested in hearing what fellows think would be useful and beneficial for the program and collective.

What are you looking for in fellows? 

We’re so glad you’re reading this. We’re looking for fellows who identify as a woman or nonbinary person of Vietnamese and/or SE Asian descent, who live outside and/or inside Vietnam. There is no nationality requirement, and fellows must be at least 18 years of age. Fellows’ writing should show promise, and are relatively early in their (writing) careers.

In particular, we would especially like to award mentorships to those with limited past access to writing communities or writing guidance. We strive to equalize access so that writers can achieve their goals regardless of their background and affiliations.

Most of our mentors write predominantly in English. However, some of us are also fluent in Vietnamese and may also be willing to work across language barriers. Please indicate in your application what language (or languages) you write in and/or are interested in working in. 

If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program in creative writing, you are not eligible for mentorship. You are also not eligible if you have published a book (or have one under contract) with a major U.S. press in a genre in which we mentor. 

The SWHNM mentorship program is competitive; in our inaugural 2022 year, we received over 80 applications for only 4 mentorship spots. 

Our number of available mentorship spots will differ each year depending on the mentors. In 2025 we will offer 5 mentorship spots.

How can I apply? Is there an application fee?

Please find detailed guidelines on our “How To Apply” page.

When you are ready to apply, submit your materials via our Application Form (this link will take you to a Google form for uploading + submitting your application materials).

If you need the Application Form in Vietnamese, click here. Nếu bạn cần nộp đơn đăng ký bằng tiếng Việt, vui lòng nhấn vào đây.

There is an application fee of $25, which helps us to cover administrative costs. You may request a fee waiver. Applicants residing in Vietnam may also receive a fee waiver. 

If you have questions or issues regarding how to send us your application materials, or if you are in need of an application fee waiver, please DM us (with “Fee Waiver Request 2025” in the subject field) at: she.who.has.no.masters@gmail.com. 

Is any of the work paid? Is there a financial cost for anyone involved?

Mentors are paid a modest stipend for their time, while members of the SWHNM collective organize and facilitate the mentorship program on an unpaid basis since we are a collective of writers who want to, and are able to, participate in this vibrant community. 

We are committed to the idea of supporting Vietnamese and SE Asian diasporic women and nonbinary writers. This mentorship program is one that exists outside of any institutions. Some of the mentors may be affiliated with institutions such as universities but we don’t have outside funding or other institutional support for this project. It’s just us–a labor of care and love. 

Who assesses applications, and how are they assessed?

The mentors for each cycle, along with volunteer members of the collective, read and assess the applications based on promise and need. From there, a smaller committee determines which few candidates might benefit the most from a SWHNM mentorship based on their current access to writing resources and commitment to craft and career, their financial need, and other factors.

There are a few writers with whom I’d especially love to be matched. Can I specify that?

No, though we welcome for you to share what you’re looking for in a mentor.

How far along should a writing sample be?

You should submit your best work, whether it’s published or not. A sampling of different pieces—representing various genres or not—is fine.

I have a question that isn’t addressed here, or something else I want to get in touch about.

You can email us at she.who.has.no.masters@gmail.com. 

Ready to apply? Go to the Application Form here.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
December 15, 2024

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) on December 15, 2024.