Investor Spotlight: Straw Dog Writers Guild
Straw Dog Writers Guild is a long-running organization connecting local writers with the resources to support their art. We talked to Jacqueline Sheehan, co-founder and past president to learn more about the work of the Guild.
Writers from Straw Dog Writers Guild gathered at Forbes Library
Tell us a bit about what you do — what services you provide, or what a typical day in your business might look like. Straw Dog Writers Guild is a community where writers don’t just create—they thrive. Our organization connects storytellers in rural western Massachusetts of all genres with resources, mentorship, and publishing opportunities, turning passion into polished, impactful work. Whether you’re drafting your first poem in high school or finishing your fifth novel, we provide the tools, feedback, and connections to share their stories with the world.
What made you decide to start Straw Dog Writers Guild? The Valley is filled with writers, but before we started, there was no unifying organization to help writers connect, mentor new writers, and become braided into the community. A group of 6 writers came together and formed a Guild. We understood that the stories that we write can bind a community together.
What is a recent project you're proud of? Our Emerging Writer of Color Fellowship is a program that will have the most long lasting ripple effects. This is a one year program for a writer who is awarded $3000, mentored, given a residency at the Edith Wharton Mount, among other thing. This has been life changing for writers who previously didn't have access to the publishing world.
Any exciting plans for the future? Our full day conference, Write Angles, will be held at Bay Path University, October 24. This will be the third year that SDWG has taken over this conference, previously held at Mount Holyoke. Over 20 workshops, meetings with agents, and a keynote speaker. 150 writers will attend. We offer partial scholarships.
What else should we know about you or your business? More than 1600 community members participated in our events during 2025. We offered monthly workshops for writers to sharpen their skills. We partnered with Smith Vocational to help sponsor their literary magazine and we provided a college scholarship to a graduating senior in Holyoke.
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