About Hawthornden Foundation

Who We Are
Hawthornden Foundation is a U.S. private charitable foundation supporting contemporary writers and the literary arts. Established by Drue Heinz, the noted philanthropist and patron of the arts, the Foundation is named after Hawthornden Castle in Midlothian, Scotland, where an international residential program provides month-long retreats for creative writers from all disciplines to work in peaceful surroundings. Hawthornden also supports a residential program at Casa Ecco, on Lake Como in Italy, the site of “Conversazioni,” private conferences attended by many celebrated writers and others in the arts, and a retreat for invited authors to complete a literary work in progress. In 2024, Hawthornden Foundation opened a new non-residential retreat – Hawthornden Brooklyn – in New York. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the annual Hawthornden Prize, one of Britain’s oldest and foremost literary awards, and provides grant support to other literary programs. Hawthornden has rapidly expanded its global operations in the last three years.