Ian Belknap is a writer, performer, teacher, and coach living in Chicago. He is an MFA candidate in creative writing at Bennington College in VT. He has been named to New City Chicago’s “Lit 50” list twice. He is founder of WRITE CLUB, world’s greatest competitive reading series, with current chapters in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Denver, and former chapters in San Francisco and Toronto. WRITE CLUB has been named “Best Literary Series” and “Best Reading Series” in the Chicago Reader, Chicago Magazine, Time Out Chicago, and New City, he is contributor and co-editor of Bare-Knuckled Lit: The Best of WRITE CLUB (Hope & Nonthings, 2014). His essays, opinion, satire, and criticism have appeared in The Rumpus, Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, Ian has been a speaker, presenter, or panelist at TEDx Greenville (SC), Decatur (GA) Book Fest, Chicago Humanities Festival, the Poetry Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Ideas Week, Chicago Writers Conference, Printers Row Book Fest, the Smart Museum of Art, Chicago Book Expo, and others. He has taught creative nonfiction workshops, humor writing workshops, storytelling workshops independently and with StoryStudio Chicago, Second City Training Center, and at Northwestern University’s Summer Writers’ Conference. He has over 20 years’ experience as an actor, comedian, and solo performer and his work has appeared at Steppenwolf Theatre, The Neo-Futurists, the Rhino Theater Fest, Fillet of Solo Fest, Den Theatre, PushPush Theatre (ATL), the Vic Theatre, and Skyline Stage at Navy Pier, and others,

“I met Ian Belknap several years ago when we were both performers in Chicago's burgeoning live lit scene and found myself immediately captivated both by his stage presence and the breathtaking quality of the piece he was performing. And I'm not overstating it: Ian is immensely talented and he's downright incandescent onstage, delivering his gut punching words with crackling electricity… He's got a towering intelligence and an unparalleled command of language, but he's also sensitive and a good listener and offers carefully considered feedback. In his workshops he easily susses out weak spots and can help pull from within you what you might be too shy or not know how to get onto the page… he has a scathing wit and for all the years I've known him has written things that just snatched my throat out while I read them and the world needs his voice in it.” - Samantha Irby, author of Meaty, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, blogger - bitches gotta eat

“In the last fifteen years here in Chicago, Ian has been a vital andnecessary voice in the city’s literary scene. His essays, both in print and performance, are unmatched in their fire, stylistic verve, wit, bite, and intelligence. It is not an overstatement to say that the history of Chicago letters in the 21st century has been significantly marked by his work. He is that rare writer who not only knows how to say something, but actually has something to say.” - Mickle Maher, playwright

”The Chicago Council on Science and Technology's (C2ST) mission is to enhance the public's understanding and appreciation of science and technology and its impact on society. My role as Executive Director was to create a culture of advocates with - and for - the scientific community to engage the public through discussions of these emerging and important issues. Ian was instrumental in helping to navigate a broader interpretation of our mission to enhance partnerships, sources of funding, events, initiatives and future programming. Our collaboration led to positive programmatic and cultural shifts within the organization which allowed us to maximize our effectiveness.” - Erin Dragotto, former Executive Director (currently serving as VP of Development at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque IA)