About Us

Mission

The Mission of The Litchfield County Writers Project at the University of Connecticut Torrington Campus:

To provide a central element of support, preservation, display and celebration of, for and about the professional writers of Litchfield County, in ways that might further the academic aims of the University while enriching our community’s creative life.

History

Since the 18th century, Litchfield County has flourished as the home for generations of writers. A quality that many writers and artists have found here in Litchfield County is an enduring sense of place. In the Litchfield Hills, writers find not only serenity and inspiration, but also the opportunity to have a transformative relationship with nature.

The Litchfield County Writers Project began conceptually in 1960 when Eric Sloane signed and illustrated eight of his books for UConn Torrington. In 1988 a small group of UConn staff and friends sketched details for an expanded collection, but the pattern needed more focus. In March of 1993, at the suggestion of Provost Tom Tighe to "define UConn Torrington's uniqueness," a clear direction appeared. Since the extraordinary uniqueness of Litchfield County lies in the number and stature of its writers, UConn Torrington's role became recognizing the contributions of these exceptional people, and gathering their works. This ongoing effort is today's LCWP.

Program Information

The Litchfield County Writers Project is a non-profit organization focusing specifically on sharing information and insights contributed by writers in Litchfield County, past and present. Operating out of a small library and conference room at UConn's Torrington Campus, supported by donations and some funding from the University of Connecticut, LCWP connects with the community at large through speaker series, workshops and educational outreach events.
Inspiring writers like Arthur Miller, Madeleine L'Engle, Frank McCourt and Honor Moore, illustrators such as Wendell Minor, poet/performers such as Susan Kinsolving and Jack Gilpin and Taylor Mali have been guest speakers on campus, thanks to the efforts of LCWP.

The heart of the project is a collection of over 1,300 books written by Litchfield County authors. Many of these are signed first editions, donated by the authors. Some of the authors in our collection are Philip Roth, Nancy Friday, Honor Moore, Roxana Robinson, David Rabe, Frank Delaney, Arthur Miller, William and Rose Styron, Henry Kissinger, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Charles and Mark Van Doren and many others. One purpose of LCWP is to expand this collection and catalogue this ever-growing body of works.