Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop
What writer wouldn’t want to spend two all-expenses-paid, blissful weeks at a hotel in Dayton, Ohio?
Yes, a hotel. Room service. An omelette bar. The sun rising over the Great Miami River. It’s the ultimate gift for any writer — the luxury of time to write … and on the “Dayton Riviera,” no less.
That’s the premise behind A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck Humorist-in-Residence Program, what Forbes says "may be the best writer's residency in the country.
The program will accept applications Sept. 2-Oct. 6, 2025.
For the 2024 residency, dozens of preliminary judges, all established writers, narrowed the field for finalist judges Dion Flynn, best known as Barack Obama (and other characters) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and comedy writer Monica Piper, former head writer for the #1 children’s animated series Rugrats. They selected two grand prize winners, a finalist and six honorable mentions.
The contest attracted 243 applications from 40 states coast to coast, Washington, D.C., and four countries — Australia, Canada, Spain and the UK. Read a wrap-up story.
GRAND Prize winners
Kara Kinney Cartwright, North Potomic, Md.
Annmarie Kelly-Harbaugh, Shaker Heights, Ohio
finalist ($250 prize)
Aprilll Brandon, Somerville, Mass.
Honorable mentions ($100 prize)
Gracie Kairis, Springfield, Ore.
Talia Argondezzi, Phoenixville, Pa.
Megan Bannon, Nashville, Tenn.
James Folta, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Kristy Dewberry, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ben Ren, Chaska, Minn.
The biennial program is open to all humor writers regardless of gender or comedic point of view. For more information, visit humorist-in-residence.com.
Thanks to a generous gift from the Bombeck family and in-kind support from the Marriott at the University of Dayton, the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop offers two emerging humor writers the opportunity to take a deep dive into their comedy writing without pesky everyday responsibilities.
The program is the brainchild of Anna Lefler, who funded its launch in 2017 and the early years of its operation. She’s a Los Angeles-based author and a three-time workshop faculty member.