• A sisterhood of dedicated and professional women in the arts with a passion for sharing their artistic gifts with the wider community

Founded in 1897, the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. (NLAPW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports and promotes professional women in arts, letters, music, and allied professions. 

-What’s New-

  • Highlights from the 2026 NLAPW Biennial

    Highlights from the 2026 NLAPW Biennial

    The 2026 Biennial, hosted by the Central New York Branch, brought together Pen Women from across the country to Washington, D.C., for three days of celebrations, networking, and learning.

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  • The 2026-2027 Cross-Genre Competition for Members Now Open

    The 2026-2027 Cross-Genre Competition for Members Now Open

    The second annual NLAPW Cross-Genre Competition is designed to encourage Pen Women across genres and branches to collaborate creatively with each other. The League hopes to inspire new creative and collaborative projects showcasing members’ talents.

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  • Letters Members Invited to Fall Writers' Retreat

    Letters Members Invited to Fall Writers' Retreat

    NLAPW will once again host a Pen Women exclusive writers’ retreat at Pen Arts in the fall. The retreat includes free room and board at Pen Arts, instruction with professional editing, group tutorials, evening readings, walking tours, and more.

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Why Become a Pen Woman?

Cape Canaveral Branch member Donna Puglisi shares brief insights into how the prestigious NLAPW helps professional women in all aspects of the arts to network with fellow artists and expand their horizons. “The National League of American Pen Women, Inc. is a foundation, a bridge, providing building blocks to achieve success in your field. … Sharing our ideas and creative talents, there is no limit to what we can do,” she says.

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  • 1,200+ members strong

  • 58 branches across country

  • 35 disciplines represented

Thank you for joining us at this year’s Biennial conference in Washington, D.C.! See highlights from the event.