Matthew Denton-Edmundson and Natanya Biskar Named 2026-2027 Boise City Writers-in-Residence
September 16, 2026 11:00 AM
BOISE – Boise Public Library, the Boise City Department of Arts & History and The Cabin are excited to announce that writers Matthew Denton-Edmundson and Natanya Biskar have been selected as the 2026-2027 Boise City Writers-in-Residence.
Matthew Denton-Edmundson
Writer-in-Residence October 2026 – March 2027
Matthew Denton-Edmundson is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Boise State University. He grew up in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where much of his writing takes place. He was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and got a degree from Florida State University, before he moved to Boise. His debut novel, Reclamation is forthcoming from Doubleday and will also be released in the United Kingdom and France. Denton-Edmundson’s writing has been published in The New York Times, The Missouri Review, The Massachusetts Review, The American Scholar, The Hedgehog Review, Raritan, and Hobart. He was the winner of the 2024 Jeffery E. Smith Editors’ prize and his essay, How to Love Animals, was anthologized in the 2025 Best American Essays.
Natanya Biskar
Writer-in-Residence April 2027 – September 2027
Natanya Biskar is a fiction writer based in Boise, Idaho. She earned her MFA in fiction from Boise State University, where she served as Associate Editor for The Idaho Review. Her work has appeared in Subtropics, The Indiana Review, and SELF. Born and raised in San Francisco, Natanya taught elementary school for more than ten years across the Pacific Northwest. She is currently at work on her first novel.
“Gathering with Boise writers every month refilled my cup and reminded me why a literary community matters,” said former Boise City Writer-in-Residence Kim Cross. “The most nurturing part of my writing life is fellowship with other writers. Writing is a lonely act, but we do not do it alone.”
Denton-Edmundson and Biskar will be responsible for developing and facilitating free public programs at various Boise Public Library locations, the Erma Hayman House, and The Cabin. The programs may be themed or open writing workshops, reading series, writing explorations, or other literary experiences. A schedule of specific programs will be forthcoming at boisepubliclibrary.org/writerinresidence.
Resident writers were selected through a competitive application process, which included review by a selection panel consisting of members representing Boise Public Library, the Arts & History Commission and The Cabin, all with backgrounds in literary arts. The panel reviewed and scored more than 20 applications based on responses to application questions, writing samples, and programming proposals. Each writer will receive a one-time $5,000 stipend to support their creative work and program development.
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About the Boise City Writer-in-Residence Program
Founded in 2023, the Boise City Writer-in-Residence is a collaborative program between the Boise Public Library, the Boise City Department of Arts & History and The Cabin. Funded by the City of Boise, these six-month residencies offer local writers dedicated time and stipend to support their creative practice and connect them to the community through free monthly literary public programs and events. The Boise City Writer-in-Residence call for applications opens annually in the summer.
About the Boise Public Library
The Boise Public Library’s mission is to provide access and opportunity for everyone by connecting people to ideas, information, and community. We welcome and serve everyone by providing information, services, and programs that are free and open to all. More information: boisepubliclibrary.org
About the Boise City Department of Arts & History
The Department of Arts & History is Boise’s local cultural agency dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging through accessible and place-based arts and history. Our mission is to cultivate a distinct sense of place which reflects Boise’s rich past, diverse communities, and unique natural setting. Our operations empower and serve Boise residents as we create opportunities that nurture and sustain Boise’s past and its creative economy. More information: boiseartsandhistory.org
About The Cabin
The Cabin is a literary arts nonprofit organization in Boise, Idaho. We forge community through the voices of all readers, writers, and learners. Our workshops, readings, lectures, camps, and other literary programs provoke creativity and experimentation, foster literary excellence, and inspire a love of reading and writing in children and adults alike across the Treasure Valley and beyond. More information: thecabinidaho.org