The Literary Arts Program's mission is to nurture, assist and encourage Utah writers at all levels of accomplishment, in all literary genres, and from every part of the state. The Program works to assist literary organizations to identify and reach out to new audiences for literature, especially literature written by living Utah writers. The Literature Program also seeks to work in partnership with the entire literary community: libraries, publishers, schools, colleges and universities; booksellers; public radio and other media; and literature presenters of all kinds.

Literary Arts administers an annual writing competition and the activities of Utah's poet laureate.

Go to the Annual Original Writing Competition Page.

Read winning manuscripts from past winners of the Writing Competition.

Go to the Utah Poet Laureate Page.

Check out "Bite Size Poems"

UAC's Literary Arts Program also assists with the following:

• Offers assistance to writers on an individual basis, helps them network among other writers, and helps writers to arrange reading engagements.
• Helps make connections regionally and nationally for sponsors of writer conferences in the state.
• Provides assistance to organizations in selecting visiting writers to read for audiences throughout the state, and gives advice in negotiating contracts with visiting writers.
• Maintains a reference library housing winning manuscripts from Utah's Original Writing Competition, and of books that have won the competition's publication prize, as well as work by other Utah authors. These works are available for reference on the premises. The library is open to the public during UAC business hours.

For help with any of these, contact: Guy Lebeda, glebeda@utah.gov, (801) 236-7553.