Mission
Our mission is to support local writers and build community. Through education and outreach, we work to advance the craft of writers in all stages of development and inspire people to value the power of the written word to build communication skills, to express the human story, and to heal.
Vision
We envision writing as a transformative, valued, and integral part of our community.
2026-27 Executive Committee
Student Contest
For 70 years, the Burlington Writers Club has sponsored the Student Writing Contest to recognize exceptional student writers in Alamance County. The contest is made possible in part by a grant through the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, and Alamance Arts.
Contest Chair, Cheryl Wilder
contest@burlingtonwritersclub.org
BWC History
Excerpts from archives in the May Memorial Library.
The organizational meeting of the Alamance Writers Club was held March 26, 1956 at May Memorial Library in Burlington. Journalist-historian Mable Lassiter presided and two member of the Greensboro Writers Club, one of whom was Mrs. Nona Walker, were present to assist with the organization process. The 21 persons attending were asked to give brief summaries of their writing interests and it was immediately evident that they represented all phases of writing, a fact which is still true today.
The second meeting was held April 9th at the home of musician-poet Helen Eaton with 27 people in attendance. The next day Howard White, then editor of The Daily Times News, wrote: “One of these days we all can hope that this club will be a vital part of an Alamance County Fine Arts Festival, which we continue to believe is one of the most needed organizations we have before us today.”
At the third meeting it was decided to change the name to Burlington Writers Blub (BWC) and offer memberships to persons in the surrounding areas. One of the first tasks the group undertook was to meet with other interested people to form an Alamance County Arts Council. BWC is the Council’s oldest member group.
The club participated in the first annual Arts Festival with a competition in four categories. The awards dinner was held in October 1956 in the Green Room of Alamance Hotel.
Quick Facts
- The club has functioned continuously since its founding in 1956.
- A founding group of 27 writers met with other Alamance residents and formed the Alamance Fine Arts Council (now the Alamance County Arts Council). BWC is the oldest member group of the arts council.
- The newly formed Burlington Writers Club participated in the first arts festival, “with entries in four categories.” The public spring festival received an average of 300 entries from 7 counties.
- Awards ceremonies of early years were large, formal affairs. A large committee administered the contests. People dressed for the occasion, with women in long dresses.
Join us!
If you are interested in writing, be it poetry, plays, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, family history, children’s literature, or simply for personal enjoyment, join us in our efforts to grow as writers. We are an eclectic group of serious and casual writers, even a few professionals, all at varying levels of talent and experience.
Some events are made possible by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources through the Alamance Arts Council.
