​​writing retreat ​for women

​​​​​​​​​​The Salty Quill

The Ellis Avery Scholarship


In 2016, the Salty Quill Writers' Residence was graced by the presence of the lovely and inspiring award-winning author, Ellis Avery, as writer-in-residence, with the bonus of her brilliant partner, Sharon Marcus, by her side. Ellis wrote two novels (The Last Nude and The Teahouse Fire), published memoirs (The Smoke Week and The Family Tooth), and wrote haikus every day for decades. She was the only writer ever to have received the American Library Association Stonewall Award for Fiction twice, received Lambda, Ohioana, and Golden Crown awards, and her work has been translated into six languages. Although she lost her battle to cancer in the winter of 2019, Ellis remains an inspiration to a massive community of women infused by her spirit, joy, and bravery. For our time with her, we are honored and always grateful, and hopefully, will remain quite possibly, better human beings for it. This scholarship was initiated with the support of Sharon Marcus, in honor of Ellis.





The Ellis Avery scholarship is open to any woman writer who is actively pursuing creative writing. Writers need not be published to be considered. The scholarship is awarded based on writing sample and application. LGBTQ writers, writers of color, and historically underrepresented and marginalized writers are especially encouraged to apply, with special attention given to writers in financial need.Type your paragraph here.