Ian Belknap is a Chicago writer/performer and founder/curator/host of WRITE CLUB, the nation’s premiere competitive philanthropic readings series. WRITE CLUB is a series of bouts between opposing writers/opposing ideas with victors chosen by the audience and proceeds going to charities of the winners’ choosing. To date, WRITE CLUB has given over $7,000 to charity and now has monthly shows in Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Athens (GA), with more cities on the way.
Ian’s work has been featured in the live lit shows This Much is True, Tuesday Funk, Stories at the Store, Here’s the Story, Story Club Chicago, 2nd Story, Essay Fiesta, and the Rhino Theater Festival, among others. He served as Fact Checker for The Encyclopedia Show, and is on the masthead of The Paper Machete as the Dean of Mean. Ian has sat on panels and presented at TEDx Greenville, Arts & Business Council of Chicago, League of Chicago Theatres, Printers’ Row Book Fair, Chicago Writers’ Conference, and Decatur Book Fest, among others. Ian has appeared as a guest lecturer at Columbia College Chicago and DePaul University. Ian is partner with Samantha Irby in the comedy blog irbyandian.com, "an advice column for jerks, written by assholes."
