An aster is a small flower that is often purple, pink, or white. Its name is derived from the Greek word ‘aster’ meaning star. Like an aster, we hope that this community blossoms and grows and that for each person who comes across it—whether as a reader or a writer—this place can serve as a reminder of all the starlight that makes your voice unique and important. Asterisks are symbols commonly used to reference omitted information. By sharing diverse youth voices which are far too often overlooked and dismissed, we hope to add a few more asterisks—a few more layers of complexity, nuance, and new perspectives—to the literary world.
Our Mission
Aster Lit is an international youth literary community founded by young writers who met during the Between the Lines: Peace and the Writing Experience 2020 program at the University of Iowa. As a nonprofit organization, our mission is to empower and connect youth from around the world through creative writing. We’re excited to continue expanding our constellation of voices.
We are proud to be funded by the U.S. Department of State via the University of Iowa.
Funding for this program has been provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs via the International Writing Program and the University of Iowa as the implementing partners. Funding for this program has also been provided by The Hershey Company via the Heartwarming Action Grant and Riley’s Way via the Call for Kindness Grant.