The Columbia Fiction Foundry was founded on December 6, 2009 at the Renaissance Diner in Manhattan by alumni authors Ralph White, Melissa Bell, Sanna Levine, Ann Sass, Mervyn Kaufman, and Stephen Sossaman. Within a year the group found a focus in short and long fiction and a home at the Columbia Alumni Center at 622 W. 113th Street. In January of 2013, the group was recognized as an official Shared Interest Group by the Columbia Alumni Association and quickly outgrew the constraints of its workshop meetings to become the hybrid workshop and virtual writing community it is today.

Early on, members of CFF realized that Columbia’s alumni network could be leveraged to expand knowledge of the commercial publishing process, and the group frequently hosts special events. Literary agents Miriam Goderich, Rob McQuilken, Brettne Bloom, Kent Wolf, Jeff Kleinman, Erin Harris, and Dado Derviskadic have all generously given their time to guide our writers through the submissions process and provide an insider’s view of the industry. Authors including Frances Cha, Dave King and Greer Hendricks have stopped by to lend their words of wisdom and experience. The group has also hosted prize-winning Columbia Writing Program instructors Ellis Avery and Richard Ford. See the Events page for upcoming events.

Workshops are held the first Saturday and third Wednesday of the month. If you’re a Columbia alumnus and are interested in joining, please email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

Pictured (left to right): Past President and Co-Founder Ralph White; Co-Founder Sanna Levine; Melissa Bell; and Stephen Sossaman.

Past Presidents

 Tania Moore, 2021-present

 Will Hughes, 2019-2021

 Richard Hensley, 2015-2019

 Ralph White, 2010-2015