Verizon Foundation recently awarded a $2000 literacy grant to Lost Horse Press for its Young Writers of the Lost Horse writing conference. Verizon will present the literacy awards at a special event Friday, May 30, 2003, in Coeur d'Alene at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn. The reception will be held as part of an all-day Northwest Small Cities Conference that Verizon is sponsoring.

In 2001, Lost Horse Press created a program to help children in elementary through high school strengthen their writing skills and heighten their interest in writing. Lost Horse Press arranges to have professional writers, poets, and books arts professionals spend two days giving inspiring, dynamic writing and book arts workshops to small classes of students. Classes held at the Sandpoint Library are limited in size to no more than 12 to 15 students so that faculty can work individually with each student. All workshops are provided at no charge, and are designed to give children from grades 3 through 12 a fresh perspective on the process and pleasure of writing. The Young Writers of the Lost Horse program has received enthusiastic responses from the students who have participated in the program in the past, as well as their parents, librarians and teachers. During the intensive two-day workshops, students learn that writing--whether it's poetry, fiction, or nonfiction--is one of the most fun and fulfilling activities one can do as a human being. The faculty lead students through writing activities that challenge their creativity and give them the tools to keep them writing for many years into the future. In addition, students are encouraged to share their work and to give comments. The conference closes with a faculty/student reading and pizza party at the Sandpoint Library for all who want to share their work with family, friends, and the public.

Lost Horse Press--a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent press based in Sandpoint, Idaho--is committed to publishing poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction titles of high literary merit. The Press makes available fine contemporary literature through cultural, educational and publishing programs and activities. For instance, the Lost Horse Northwest Poetry Series for Emerging Writers is dedicated to publishing and promoting the early books of deserving authors whose work is ignored by conglomerate publishers who require their authors to already have an established audience. In 5 years, the Press has published 10 books of poetry and 5 fiction titles, several of which have won national awards. In addition, in 2001, Lost Horse Press and the East Bonner County Library introduced a program--Young Writers of the Lost Horse Writing Conference--to help children in elementary through high school strengthen their writing skills and heighten their interest in writing. These workshops are provided at no charge to Bonner County students, and are designed to give children from grades 3 through 12 a fresh perspective on the process and pleasure of writing.

Besides readings, open mics, Young Writers of the Lost Horse conference for children, and various other literary events, Lost Horse Press also sponsors the annual Lost Horse Writers' Conference, a literary celebration bringing together readers, scholars, and writers for three days of intensive creative writing workshops, readings by regionally and nationally distinguished writers, lectures, panel discussions, book signings, collaborative presentations, and intimate gatherings. Participants choose one of seven workshops in which they work closely with a professional writer in classes limited to no more than 12 people. The theme of the 3rd annual Lost Horse Writers' Conference is communication: the exchange of ideas and knowledge within an eclectic gathering. Comprehensive workshops for writers of all skill levels increase the writer's self-confidence, enhance a writer's understanding of the writing process, and expose ways that technical skills can lead a writer toward the goal of excellence, whether one's work is for personal pleasure or for publication. No other program of this scope exists in north Idaho, benefiting the experienced writer and the neophyte, as well as the ardent reader of contemporary Northwest literature.