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Allison Amend Master Class Recording
In this master class, recorded in Amsterdam on 24 May 2025, award-winning author Allison Amend shares lessons from writing and publishing her novel Enchanted Islands.
Inspired by a true story, Enchanted Islands follows the unlikely life of Frances Frankowski–from her Midwestern childhood as the daughter of Polish immigrants, to a covert World War II mission in the Galápagos, to her final years in a California retirement home. It’s a sweeping tale of espionage, friendship, and longing, told with insight and humor.
Allison is the author of four books, including Stations West, A Nearly Perfect Copy, and the award-winning story collection Things That Pass for Love. A graduate of Stanford and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she brings years of experience as a writer, teacher, and editor.
Topics covered include:
Whether you’re working on your first novel or your fifth, this episode offers thoughtful insights and plenty of inspiration.
This master class was moderated by IWC director, Sarah Carriger.
ABOUT THESE TEACHERS
Allison Amend was born in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of Stanford University and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, she is the author of the award-winning short story collection Things That Pass for Love and the novels A Nearly Perfect Copy and Stations West, which was a finalist for the 2011 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the Oklahoma Book Award. Her most recent novel Enchanted Islands was longlisted for the International Dublin Award. Allison teaches creative writing at Lehman College in New York City and at the Red Earth MFA program at Oklahoma City University.
Sarah Carriger has taught creative writing since 2011. She directs the International Writers’ Collective and teaches Level IV courses. A Stanford graduate with degrees in English Literature, she writes fiction and poetry, with work in Gulf Coast, Post Road, The Pinch, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine and others. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Barthelme Prize and longlisted for Smokelong Quarterly’s Grand Micro Contest.
ABOUT OUR MASTER CLASS SERIES
In this series, working writers talk tips, tricks and techniques with a focus on a single novel or collection. The classes are conducted in an interview format with plenty of room for questions. Check out our podcast archive to listen to recordings of previous Master Classes with writers such as A.M. Homes, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction; Kristen Roupenian, author of the viral short story “Cat Person”; Jennifer Clement, then PEN International president; and Lauren Groff, the author of Barack Obama’s favourite book of 2015.
Copyright © 2025 Allison Amend & International Writers’ Collective
Subscribe: Overcast | iTunes | Anchor.FM | Google Play | Player.FM | PocketCasts | Spotify
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By International Writers' CollectiveIn this master class, recorded in Amsterdam on 24 May 2025, award-winning author Allison Amend shares lessons from writing and publishing her novel Enchanted Islands.
Inspired by a true story, Enchanted Islands follows the unlikely life of Frances Frankowski–from her Midwestern childhood as the daughter of Polish immigrants, to a covert World War II mission in the Galápagos, to her final years in a California retirement home. It’s a sweeping tale of espionage, friendship, and longing, told with insight and humor.
Allison is the author of four books, including Stations West, A Nearly Perfect Copy, and the award-winning story collection Things That Pass for Love. A graduate of Stanford and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she brings years of experience as a writer, teacher, and editor.
Topics covered include:
Whether you’re working on your first novel or your fifth, this episode offers thoughtful insights and plenty of inspiration.
This master class was moderated by IWC director, Sarah Carriger.
ABOUT THESE TEACHERS
Allison Amend was born in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of Stanford University and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, she is the author of the award-winning short story collection Things That Pass for Love and the novels A Nearly Perfect Copy and Stations West, which was a finalist for the 2011 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the Oklahoma Book Award. Her most recent novel Enchanted Islands was longlisted for the International Dublin Award. Allison teaches creative writing at Lehman College in New York City and at the Red Earth MFA program at Oklahoma City University.
Sarah Carriger has taught creative writing since 2011. She directs the International Writers’ Collective and teaches Level IV courses. A Stanford graduate with degrees in English Literature, she writes fiction and poetry, with work in Gulf Coast, Post Road, The Pinch, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine and others. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Barthelme Prize and longlisted for Smokelong Quarterly’s Grand Micro Contest.
ABOUT OUR MASTER CLASS SERIES
In this series, working writers talk tips, tricks and techniques with a focus on a single novel or collection. The classes are conducted in an interview format with plenty of room for questions. Check out our podcast archive to listen to recordings of previous Master Classes with writers such as A.M. Homes, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction; Kristen Roupenian, author of the viral short story “Cat Person”; Jennifer Clement, then PEN International president; and Lauren Groff, the author of Barack Obama’s favourite book of 2015.
Copyright © 2025 Allison Amend & International Writers’ Collective
Subscribe: Overcast | iTunes | Anchor.FM | Google Play | Player.FM | PocketCasts | Spotify
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