Lang
9/13/25
One recent graduate and one current student of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop have been awarded grants from acclaimed author James Patterson to complete their writing projects.
Jungin Angie Lee and Ajay Patri were two of 12 awardees, who were each given up to $50,000 to help them complete their manuscripts as part of Patterson’s “Go Finish Your Book!” campaign. Patterson organized the initiative, which received hundreds of submissions, in collaboration with several organizations, including the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
With the grant funding, Lee will continue to work on a short story collection she began as her MFA thesis for the workshop. Lee, who has spinal muscular atrophy, says each of the planned ten stories will include a character with a disability and will center on family, friendship, and the intricacies of giving and receiving care.
Patri intends to work on a novel, A Call for Help, which follows a day in the life of a woman trying to raise enough money to make sure her daughter’s wedding takes place the next day. He also is working on a short story collection consisting of pieces on which he’s worked during his time at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop