Adam Sleper

Adam Sleper is a working-class writer originally from Omaha. Adam earned a B.A. in English from University of Nebraska and an M.A. in English from Boston College, and spent a semester at Oxford University in England studying the medieval and renaissance eras, with an emphasis on Shakespeare. As a prose writer, Adam is a three-time Illinois artist grant recipient, which includes an Illinois Arts Council Professional Development Grant. He’s been honored with multiple residencies, including Write On, Door County. As a screenwriter, he is a Page and Austin Film Fest finalist, with multiple scripts scoring top 1% on The Black List. Adam has published stories in Midwest Review, Literal Latte, Malarkey, The No Sleep Podcast, and more. He is a member of the Chicago chapter of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and the Chicago Writers Association (CWA). He was nominated for the 2025 Pen America Dau Prize for Emerging Writers.

Adam’s passion is writing historical fiction/drama about amazing, largely unknown people/stories with prescient parallels to today—especially stories about outsiders and marginalized characters. He “moonlights” as a Tech Writer. Adam lives outside Chicago with his wife and their two kids.

HONORS & ACCOLADES

(partial)

  • 2025 Illinois Arts Council Grant for Creative Projects 2026 -- Individual Artist

  • 2025 Write On, Door County Artist Residency

  • 2025 PEN America/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers Nominee

  • 2024 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Second Rounder

  • 2024 Screencraft Fellowship Quarterfinalist 

  • 2023 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Semifinalist (x2)

  • 2023 Nashville Screenwriting Semifinalist (x2)

  • 2022 First Pages Prose Prize 2nd round

  • 2022 Screencraft Fellowship Semifinalist 

  • 2022 Final Draft Big Break Semifinalist 

  • 2022 Tracking Board Launch Pad Prose Competition Second Round

  • 2021 Screencraft TV Pilot Semifinalist 

  • 2021 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Second Rounder (x2)

  • 2021 Screencraft Fellowship Semifinalist 

  • 2021 Nashville Screenwriting Semifinalist

  • 2021 Screencraft Summit Semifinalist 

  • 2020 Final Draft Big Break Quarterfinalist 

  • 2020 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Second Rounder (x2)

  • 2020 Arts For Illinois Professional Artist Grant

  • 2020 Imagine Impact Creative Network Member

  • 2020 Academy Nicholl Fellowship top 10%

  • 2019 Illinois Arts Council Professional Development Grant

  • 2019 Page Awards Finalist

  • 2019 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Second Rounder

  • 2019 Sundance Episodic Lab Second Rounder

  • 2019 Nashville Screenwriting Semifinalist

  • 2019 Final Draft Big Break Quarterfinalist 

  • 2019 WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Semifinalist

  • 2018 Tracking Board Launch Pad Top 100

  • 2018 Screencraft Fellowship Quarterfinalist 

  • 2018 Sundance Episodic Lab Second Rounder

  • 2018 Nashville Screenwriting Semifinalist

  • 2017 Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship Semifinalist

  • 2017 Final Draft Big Break Semifinalist

  • 2017 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Second Rounder

  • 2017 Slamdance Feature Screenplay Semifinalist

  • 2016 CineStory Foundation Feature Fellowship Invitee

  • 2016 Page Quarterfinalist

  • 2016 Final Draft Big Break Quarterfinalist

  • 2015 Austin Film Festival Pitch Finalist

  • 2015 Fresh Voices Finalist