From website: Anchored by important literary figures, the conference brings discerning readers and writers together in a congenial environment to consider ideas set forth in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, poetry and filmmaking.
From website: Although the festival continues to grow and change with each new year, the integrity of the original festival remains: writers from the Rocky Mountains getting together as one community to share their work and celebrate the written word together.
From website: The master class weekend is for writers of mystery, thriller, and romantic suspense fiction. The weekend features two day-long workshops that will give in-depth instruction on key areas to enhance your writing.
From website: A residency program in Central Illinois founded to nurture emerging and established writers. Our Mission is to provide a tranquil environment conductive to artistic production and intellectual exchange. Week to month-long residencies available.
From website: Ragdale is an artists' retreat located on the grounds of Arts and Crafts architect Howard Van Doren Shaw's 1897 summer home in Lake Forest, IL.
From website: Take your writing to the next level in courses taught by working writers with a gift for sharing insights into their craft. Get reenergized by discussions with others as passionate, serious, and smart as you are about writing.
From website: Founded in 1990, the conference has consistently attracted nationally known award-winning authors and aspiring writers, and is one of the pre-eminent events on the literary calendar.
Lectures by esteemed writers, craft classes taught by some of the country's best writers and panel discussions on literary and practical topics make up the program of this new three-day conference.
From website: The premiere freelance writers’ conference [. . .] brings together 60 national magazine writers with eight national magazine editors for a weekend of dialogue, deep dish and pitch sessions.
From website: Summer institute in creating and revising novels, short stories, nonfiction, and writing for children. This three-day conference is tailored to new writers, established writers, and anyone seeking a fuller understanding of the craft—and business—of writing.
For one week, Pilcrow Lit Fest brings authors, writers, poets, librarians, booksellers, and publishers from around the country together in support of small presses and independent media through small workshops, panel discussions, lectures and author readings in Chicago.
From website: Come write with the pros. Read poems, short stories, novels and essays with some of today's leading writers. Join a workshop for feedback on your own work. Have fun wit words!
From website: The weeklong RopeWalk Writers Retreat gives participants an opportunity to attend workshops and to confer privately with one of four prominent writers.
From website: These networking experiences, the manuscript evaluation scheme, the agent pitch sessions, and the class sessions make the Midwest Writers Workshop a must for all writers.
From website: Participants in the week-long conference join faculty-led workshops in fiction and poetry, and take classes on fiction writing, poetry, creative nonfiction and attend a variety of readings and social events.
Bringing books & book lovers together.
From website: The Iowa Summer Writing Festival is an opportunity for you to share your work in a community that wishes it well. There are one-week workshops and weekend workshops available.
A national writing conference with novel, nonfiction, and poetry workshops, panel discussions, and readings.
From website: It is a multi-venue event bringing fiction, non-fiction, culinary, drama, poetry, science, children's literature (and other genres) all together in one event, and then explores how they exist in other art disciplines.
Annual science fiction conference with differing themes offered from year to year. Events include book signings, readings, panel discussions and more.
From website: an intensive learning experience for small groups of serious-minded writers who are committed to improving and completing their novels for submission.
From website: One weekend the best women artists from around the world venture to this place to exchange ideas, process, performance- calling us to newly imagine what it means to be a writer.
From website: We offer seasonal classes in Writing, Computer Literacy, and Foreign Language; tutoring for students ages 6-16; vibrant youth and family programs and exhibits, readings, and other arts-related events.
From website: Programs include panel discussions, theatrical performances, a one-act play competition, lectures, literary walking tours, musical performances, a bookfair, and more.
From website: The festival presents panel discussions and master classes around literary topics to provide a forum for authors and editors to talk about their work for the benefit of emerging writers and the enjoyment of fans of LGBT literature.
From website: The experiential education programs of the Salt Institute collect, communicate and preserve non-fiction stories about Maine people, culture and landscape.
From website: Writers from diverse cultures and ethnic experience, whose award-winning novels, non-fiction and poetry are astounding readers and critics with their beauty, insight and reflection, will participate in the [. . .] Maine Literary Festival.
From website: Let inspiration bite. A rustic getaway for writers situated at the beautiful Haystack Mountain School of Crafts on Deer Isle, the Blackfly Writers’ Retreat provides an opportunity for writers to immerse themselves in their work far from the distractions of home.
From website: We offer intensive workshops in each of four genres: poetry, short fiction, novel, and nonfiction. Daily lectures and nightly readings give students the opportunity to meet other writers and to explore work that expands and challenges our understanding of literature.
From website: MWPA’s Fall Writing Retreat—a weekend devoted solely to the pursuit of creativity with wise teachers available to help hone skills while offering specific techniques and an abundance of gentle feedback.
From website: The mid-Atlantic's premier celebration of the literary arts offers well-known authors, local bookstores, publishers, children's writers, storytellers, author signings, crafts, refreshments and entertainment.
From website: America's premier independent literary center, founded in 1976, promotes the art of contemporary writing by building a community of writers, workshop leaders, publishers and audiences.
From website: Festival will feature novelists, journalists, poets, a poetry slam, adult and youth writing contests and a comedy night! All events are free and are held at various locations throughout downtown Bethesda.
From website: [O]ffers the unique opportunity for aspiring writers to have their work critiqued by accomplished writers in the specialty field of their choice, be it fiction, poetry, memoirs, creative non-fiction, travel, mystery, screenwriting or children’s literature.
Writing workshops from poetry to travel writing to blogging. Also conducts workshops in various other fine arts.
From website: The Newburyport Literary Festival is a celebration of literature, authors, and readers.
From website: Juniper Institute participants form a community of writers committed to exploring the creative process and advancing their craft.
From website: Four day writing, yoga and movement retreat at Stump Sprouts in the beautiful Berkshires.
From website: Amherst Writers & Artists is a non-profit corporation with four programs. We continue to support and run Outreach writing groups for traditionally silenced populations, and we continue to operate Training programs on the east and west coasts of the U.S.
The Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference provides the faculty, connections, and tools necessary to set poets with a book-length manuscript on a path towards publication.
From website: The faculty includes Vietnam veterans and others whose lives have been altered by the experience of war, but applicants with diverse interests and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
From website: Evocative of renewal, rebirth, and fertility (in the literary sense, of course), “Solstice” is the name of one of the most rejuvenating and welcoming writers’ conferences in the country.
The Multicultural Writers Conference at Emerson College is a two-day event composed of workshops, readings and panel discussions. Focus is on becoming published, the literary community, and the impact of writers of color on the industry.
From website: Lesley's conference supports writers in a collaborative environment that will provide rich stimulation for anyone interested in fiction, nonfiction, children's book writing, and poetry.
Offers a variety of workshops in creative writing and the visual arts. Workshops are a week long and go from June through August.
From website: The Cape Cod Writers' Center is where writers gather to share their thoughts and skills with other writers - those who are published, those who want to be, and those who simply love to write.
From website: A three-day celebration of the poets, poetry, and literary heritage of a state whose contribution to American poetry is unsurpassed in the nation. Join us as we pay tribute to the poets and writers of the past while experiencing the creative energy of today’s literary artists.
From website: Annual mystery conference for writers and readers.
Held annually in Somerville, the Writers Festival hosts readings and a book fair. Held during the event is Ibbetson Street Press's annual poetry contest.
From website: This is the singular experience of Bear River — the fabric of the conference woven from twin loves, for the worlds of words and nature. Bear River is a place of diverse community that welcomes all of the individual voices of its many participants.
From website: The Berrien Artist Guild, through its multi-use facility, the Box Factory for the Arts, chooses to create an outstanding place to practice and celebrate artistic diversity.
From website: Recharge your batteries, pick up new ideas and techniques, make friends and influence people, write and work with a discerning group of peers at Rustbelt Roethke, a professional-level writers’ retreat and peer workshop with a comfortable, egalitarian atmosphere at a modest cost.
From website: The conference will focus on your work, with intensive workshops in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting. as well as faculty and participant readings, panel discussions, and informal gatherings.
From website: The Ann Arbor Book Festival’s mission is to promote reading, heighten awareness of literacy challenges, and showcase the rich culture of the written word in Michigan and beyond.
From website: Walloon Writers' Retreat is produced by Springfed Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the craft of writing, be it prose or song, the performance of works, be it spoken or sung.
From website: Inspirational talk/presentations. Discussions on craft and the creative process of songwriting. Plenty of open mic time. Song assignments - everybody writes one.
From website: The Ann Arbor Book Festival is pleased to bring you a fall Writer's Conference this year that will be a full-day experience where attendees can hone their skills in sessions led by a noted group of writers.
From website: Programs include readings by acclaimed local and national authors, classes, weekend genre festivals, competitions and grants, open groups, writer’s studios, and much more.
From website: The Split Rock Arts Program is comprised of two entities: Summer Workshops and Online Mentoring for Writers, both of which offer intensive learning opportunities with outstanding faculty from throughout the world.
Two-day conference held every year with six renowned speakers teaching on the craft of writing and the publishing industry. Opening and Closing speakers, panel discussions, open mic night, bookstores, and autograph sessions. Perfect for novice and experienced writers.
From website: Since 1937 the festival has been held at various member institutions and the membership has grown to include many colleges and universities across the South. Over the years, a veritable “who’s who” of Southern writers have given readings, conducted workshops, and participated in panels.
From website: he Yoknapatawpha Summer Writers’ Workshop is designed to give and fiction and creative non fiction writers experience in the art of writing. The workshop features writing advice, exercises, and personal critiques, as well as readings, panels, and talks on craft.
From website: [G]ives writers the opportunity to hear outstanding speakers and to receive information on marketing, research, and writing techniques.
From website: Usually the first session includes the entire group for faculty and guest presentations, the second session breakout workshops, and the third session question and answers. The full schedule will become available at the workshop.
From website: You’ll experience a whirlwind weekend of writing, coached by true professionals, conducted in a gorgeous city venue.
From website: We host the The Annual Flathead River Writers Conference - a nationally acclaimed five day event giving members and guests the opportunity to learn from and mingle with published authors, agents, editors and publishers from all over the country.
From website: The Montana Festival of the Book will bring together the region’s finest writers to celebrate reading and writing in one of the Inland Northwest’s biggest cultural events.
From website: The Environmental Writing Institute was one of the first writing conferences in the country to focus entirely on nature and environmental writing, issues, concerns, and approaches.
From website: The conference offers workshops that are designed to benefit both the inexperienced and the experienced writer. We even offer master classes for writers who've completed book-length manuscripts and want their entire novels, memoirs, or poetry collections read by acclaimed authors.
From website: Offers up to fifty juried residencies per year to working artists from across the country and around the world. Residencies are awarded to visual artists, writers, composers, interdisciplinary artists, and arts or arts education scholars.
From website: Join writing professionals, agents, industry experts and your colleagues for three days in Las Vegas, Nevada, as they share their knowledge on all aspects of the writer’s craft.
From website: The conference is open to anyone writing crime and mystery fiction or non-fiction, technical writing for public safety magazines in print or online, or anyone interested in writing.
From website: The workshop, held annually on the campus of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, runs for six weeks, and combines an intensive learning and writing experience with in-depth feedback on students' manuscripts.
From website: Offers Conference on Poetry and Teaching, Festival and Conference of Poetry, and Frost Place Seminar. In July and August, The Frost Place hosts a poet-in-residence who lives and writes in Frost's farmhouse.
Annual retreat hosted by WriteLines on Star Island off the coast of New Hampshire
Join Peter E. Murphy and Mimi Schwartz for a relaxing writing retreat which will energize and inspire you. Workshops in poetry and creative nonfiction will include writing time, supportive feedback sessions, good meals and good company.
Energize your writing with challenging and supportive workshops which focus on starting new material. Advance your craft with feedback from our award-winning faculty.
From website: Join us this year for a day of workshops and readings in creative writing and literature.
From website: The mission of the Poetry Center is to: provide poetry events and workshops to a diverse audience and to provide opportunities for poets through offering contest, awards, a journal, anthologies, reference materials, and conferences.
Annual conference covering all types of mystery writing with book sales, key speakers, and professional authors.
From website: An intensive program of workshops and readings, featuring a staff of nationally-known writers, poets and editors. The series of workshops, lectures and lunch meetings is open to both Rutgers students and the community, though some prior workshop or professional experience is required.
From website: Designed to teach the art and craft of writing a screenplay that is saleable to Hollywood. This extraordinary learning experience is a unique opportunity to learn from some of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters and screenwriting teachers.
Hosts several week-long workshops and master classes with a few weekend-long courses. Genres include fiction, memoir, and poetry and various craft classes.
From website: The Glen Workshop combines an intensive learning experience with a lively festival of the arts.
From website: Too often in hospitals and clinics, in busy professional lives, there is no time for reflection. But here, left-out stories are told, shared, written.
From website: Through our generous grant program and unique retreat experiences, A Room of Her Own Foundation works to educate the community about the work of female artists and writers.
From website: The Millay Colony for the Arts offers one-month residencies to visual artists, composers and writers.
From website: The Edward F. Albee Foundation exists to serve writers, visual artists, and composers from all walks of life, by providing time and space in which to work without disturbance.
From website: Hear an honest and full critique of your manuscript submission from publishing professionals, enjoy meals and lectures with those in the business, and learn firsthand the intricacies of the publishing world.
From website: Teaching people ways to develop their creativity and use it in life, work, and creative expression. We do this through a unique series of exercises in creative writing, drawing, memoir and storytelling.
From site: Black Writers Reading and Writing to Transform Their Lives and the World.
From website: Great seminars and individual opportunities to work with editors, established writers, and other experts to help you sharpen your writing, marketing and technological skills.
From website: Backspace Writers Conference brings together literary agents, acquisitions editors, best-selling authors, and publishing professionals for a two-day, two-track program of workshops, panels, and networking.
From website: By fostering meaningful collaboration between young artists we hope to build an apprentice company-actors, directors and playwrights all working together to form their own company within the framework of the larger professional theater company.
A full day conference featuring over 60 authors, agents, and editors.
Annual conference hosted every summer at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.
From website: The Chautauqua experience includes powerful whole-group seminars, compelling small workshops, intensive one-on-one sessions, and a host of informal activities to put writers in close touch with many mentors.
From website: A huge, free public event presenting an array of literary stars and emerging authors who represent the exciting world of literature today.
Biannual conference with writing workshops, panels, book fairs, and Meet the Authors/Agents events.
Algonkian increases your odds of becoming a published author by showing you how to inhabit that upper percentile taken seriously by pros in the publishing business.
From website: The DWC hosts more than 40 different creative writing workshops each year. Classes vary from season to season, and typically include workshops in poetry, fiction, memoir, drama, non-fiction and screenwriting.
From website: Teaching more than 6,000 students a year, Gotham Writers' Workshop is the largest and most comprehensive private creative writing school in New York City and online.
From website: The North Country Institute and Retreat serves a dual purpose: to provide a writer's retreat for emerging writers of color and to enhance the literary and cultural arts of northeastern New York.
From website: The annual, weekend-long Festival features both daytime and evening readings by the finest poets writing today, as well as some of the East Coast's most innovative student work.
From website: The PEN World Voices festival of International Literature will bring together more than 150 writers from across the globe for an exciting week of cross-cultural literary exchange.
From website: Take part in workshops and literary salons with renowned New School faculty members, visit legendary literary venues, and meet authors, editors, and agents at the center of the contemporary American literary scene.
From website: For four days and three nights, live and write in a community of writers on the beautiful grounds of the historic Chautauqua Institution on the shore of Chautauqua Lake.
From website: The Sarah Lawrence College Summer Seminar provides published and unpublished adult writers the opportunity to explore their chosen subject matter and deepen their craft.
From website: Our senior staff is here to talk with you about writing and the writing life, and to work with you on your fiction, poetry, novel, or memoir.
From website: Manhattanville’s Writers’ Week program offers the opportunity to spend an intensive week of writing and working closely with some of the country’s finest writers and teachers of writing.
From website: The Institute offers courses for undergraduate and graduate credit and may be taken on a non-credit basis as well. Students may enroll for two weeks or for the entire four-week session.
From website: Group and individual sessions included in each workshop, which total more than 35 contact hours in a genuine workshop environment.
From website: Ever dreamed of writing or illustrating children’s books? We’re inviting writers, illustrators, teachers and readers to spend a few days in the Hamptons to celebrate books, plays and television programs for children.
From website: Located in a resort area of natural beauty, the conference offers instruction that is friendly, rigorous, professionally useful, and intellectually challenging.
From website: Understand the art of the screenplay in hands-on workshops, panels and seminars located in the relaxed, natural beauty of Southampton. Study with professional screenwriters drawn from the most distinguished film programs in the country, as well as from the rich pool of talent in New York and the Hamptons.
From website: The Southampton Playwriting Conference provides the rare opportunity to develop work in an intensive collaborative laboratory setting, with professional actors and directors standing by. Emerging and established playwrights alike may apply to any one of our three sessions.
From website: Six weeks of outdoor creative writing workshops for young people culminates in an afternoon of NYWC workshop participants sharing the stage with literary luminaries in Fort Greene Park.
From website: Writing By Degrees is truly an extraordinary conference--put on by graduate students, for graduate students, it combines a sophistication about the art of creating literature with a fresh passion for the subjects it embraces.
From website: The &Now Festival explores intersections between creative and critical praxes, examines innovative and experimental acts of writing, and advances a serious inquiry into theories of language.
New annual festival sponsored by the Asian American Writers' Workshop.
From website: The Network sponsors two conferences each year -- a Spring Conference [. . .] and and a Fall Conference. These conferences bring together hundreds of writers for workshops, readings, networking, and lively discussion.
From website: Western Carolina University's Visiting Writers Series, the oldest such series in North Carolina, has a long tradition of bringing the best of both established and emerging literary talent to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
From website: Wildacres Writers Workshop is one of the finest residential writing workshops in the country - and the least expensive! It features a weeklong retreat and a weeklong writers workshop.
From website: Donald Maass leads participants through practical writing exercises that plumb depths of character, add plot layers, heighten sense of time and place, and develop the brainstorming skills that produce consistently original stories.
From website: Our programs include classes in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, playwriting, journal writing, children’s books, screenwriting, and more. Programs are held in Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina.
ClarityWorks' first in-town writing workshop for women open to both commuters and out-of-town visitors. This 6-day workshop combines writing in community, solitude for personal writing, and discussion on writing craft as well as time to explore Asheville and environs.
From website: The NCWN’s Squire Summer Writing Residency offers an intensive course in a chosen genre, as well as a panel discussion on publishing and bookselling, and readings by faculty and registrants.
From website: Join us for a festival [of] ideas as expressed through good literature.
From website: This 6-day retreat provides ample time to sink into your writing. Here is the answer to all those times you've said, "If I only had the time!"
University of North Dakota Writers Conference
From website: The Conference enjoys a national reputation among writers as one of the best run, most interesting events of its kind, especially because of its strong public audiences, attracted by its free and open format.
From website: Since 1986, The Spring Literary Festival has featured some of the world's finest, most distinguished writers of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.
From website: The Jonathan R. Reynolds Young Writers Workshop is designed to give beginning poets and writers an opportunity to develop their talents and visions. Our Writers Workshop puts you in touch with the variety a life in writing has to offer.
Intensely creative, pushing you beyond what you thought you were capable of achieving—you eat, sleep, drink, breathe writing. And all around you are your fellow writers and instructors, cheering you on, encouraging you, word by word.
From website: The Antioch Writers' Workshop is a nationally renowned community of writers that encourages creative writers at all levels by providing inspiring, unique, and inclusive opportunities for professional and personal growth.
From website: Young Writers is an intensive two-week workshop for intellectually curious, motivated high-school students who value writing. Our goal is to help students develop their creative and critical abilities with language—to become better, more productive writers and more insightful thinkers.
From website: This is a conference about strong, imaginative writing spanning five genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting and screenwriting.
From website: The conference features approximately 25 authors, editors, and agents offering 40 informative programs to help writers learn to write better and get published.
From website: The Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency is a unique opportunity for a writer or pair of writers seeking a lengthy spell of unparalleled solitude for work and personal refreshment.
From website: Donald Maass leads participants through practical writing exercises that plumb depths of character, add plot layers, heighten sense of time and place, and develop the brainstorming skills that produce consistently original stories.
From website: The program combines morning workshops with afternoon craft seminars and career panels. Evenings are reserved for author readings.
From website: we have a full week of lectures, workshops and critique sessions that focus on picture books, historical fiction, mysteries, and biography for children.
From website: We can get you that face time with an agent or editor, get you prepped for success with workshops for every type of writing, buoy you up during the inevitable (and temporary) rejections that are part of the writing life, and help you celebrate your victories.
Fiction Collective 2 and American Book Review introduce the only writer's workshop dedicated to innovative writing.
From website: Readings, workshops, classes, conferences, Fellowships, residencies! Fishtrap is about "Writing and the West."
From website: Wordstock features ten author stages, a book fair with over 150 exhibitors, a special children's area and children's literature stage, a series of workshops for writers and for K-12 teachers, a special broadcast of Live Wire!, and more.
From website: Central Oregon's premier literary event [created] to foster an appreciation of the literary arts in the region through readings, workshops and panel discussions conducted by nationally and internationally recognized writers.
From website: Evening and full day writers conference offering a variety of concurrent workshops plus appointments with agents and editors.
From website: Join us at the Parkway Central Library for two days full of stimulating talks by award-winning writers, live music, children’s entertainment, and a bustling literary marketplace thronged with booklovers and booksellers.
From website: A three-day celebration of the work of talented and promising younger American writers. Each year, the Festival brings five fine younger writers to campus all at once for three days, giving them opportunities to mix often and informally with students and with one another.
From website: Designed to equip the writer to build a stronger story, book, or career by offering a variety of workshops with speakers from a host of backgrounds and genres. Agents and editors offer attendees an opportunity to personally pitch their ideas.
From website: The Seminar provides an extended opportunity for undergraduate poets to write and to be guided by established poets. Staff and visiting poets conduct writing workshops and offer lecture/discussions, present readings of their own work.
Annual conference hosted by West Chester University with poetry readings, special events, and workshops.
From website: We invite you to join us in creating a community of writers in a bucolic, convivial, and historic setting. Small workshops (maximum ten people per workshop) will be led by award-winning writers who have dedicated their lives to the teaching of poetry and prose.
From website: Whether you want to spend a long weekend immersed in a topic, retreat for a week to finish your novel, or dive into an intense week-long retreat guided by award-winning authors, we have the perfect workshop for you.
The annual Writers' Retreat offers writers much-needed time apart from the stresses of daily life to hone their craft through sessions with published authors, daily readings, a how-to publish workshop, time to relax with other writers, and daily yoga.
From website: Readings by Award Winning Poets, workshops for students, teaches, one and all, acoustic jazz, all under a revival style tent amongst the beauty of Fishing Creek Valley.
From website: The Writers' Symposium is an intensive examination of the craft of writing creative nonfiction.
From website: The HUB-BUB Artist-in-Residence Program provides three pre-professional and emerging young visual artists and one creative writer the opportunity to "live free and create" for 11-months in downtown Spartanburg, SC.
From website: What is bliss if not 7 days writing at the beach? Think of mornings writing in group with the meeting room doors open onto the deck. Limit 12 women
From website: Conference events will include readings and book signings by featured authors, scholarly panel sessions exploring the conference theme, as well as creative writing panels and pop culture sessions.
From website: The Festival annually welcomes more than 200 authors from throughout the nation and in every genre for readings, panel discussions and book signings.
From website: Over 40 panels & discussions available on mysteries, thrillers, and general writing and promotion techniques applicable to any genre.
From website: The Festival has grown every year and we trust that it is having a positive influence on the thriving, living literature of Appalachia. We started the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival at Lincoln Memorial University because our school has such a rich literary tradition.
From website: The Conference will gather a distinguished faculty to provide instruction and criticism through workshops and craft lectures in fiction, poetry, and playwriting.
From website: [O]ffer[s] a serious course in creative writing, not just a “get your feet wet” introduction. Students spend most mornings in workshops, and most evenings in discussions or readings by faculty, special guests, and fellow participants.
2010 dates TBA
From website: The Writers' Festival is hosted by the literary journal Windhover at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. Traditionally, about 75 writers gather at this annual conference.
From website: For a dozen years, HPHS students have enjoyed meeting, working with, and learning from distinguished writers
From website: The DFW Writers' Workshop is proud to present a special conference for writers. Meet other writers, learn the tricks of the trade from experts, and pitch your work to literary agents -- it's going to be a fantastic two days!
The Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF) is the world's largest non-juried poetry festival. All events are free and open to the public unless noted. Come enjoy poetry's biggest party!
From website: Four-day writing and yoga retreat in the Bluebonnet Heart of Texas.
From website: The Writers' League of Texas promotes literacy and elevates the art of writing.
From website: boldface emphasizes the work of young, new, and aspiring writers. We invite you to apply, whether or not you are published, and whether or not you have an undergraduate degree in creative writing.
From website: Provides a forum for journalists, writers, readers, students, educators and the general public to listen to, be inspired by and practice their craft at the highest possible level.
From website: Students sign up for one workshop in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry taught by one of four top authors. Small class sizes and personalized instruction will help you develop as a writer and hone your craft.
From website: The organization continues to grow at a rapid pace and currently includes four component programs: University Without Walls, Writers in Communities, Dramatic Readers Theater, and The Autograph Series.
From website: WRITING IS A DREAM. Writing is also work. It fulfills and frustrates and fascinates. At SMU, you don’t write alone.
From website: The Adult Conference includes morning workshops (3-hours/day) in Novel, Advanced Fiction, Generative Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Young Adult Fiction, or Children's Writing.
From website: Led by one of the writers on the NEYWC staff , the small, intimate workshops (usually 10 to 12 students per workshop) form the core experience for high school students participating in the conference.
From website: A Five-day working conference for playwrights and screenwriters of all levels.
From website: The annual Vermont College of Fine Arts of Union Institute & University's Postgraduate Writers’ Conference is open to all experienced writers, with or without graduate degrees.
From website: Bread Loaf provides a stimulating community of diverse voices in which we test our own assumptions regarding literature and seek advice about our progress as writers.
Various workshops in different forms of literary and visual arts. Programs change from year to year and range from print making to book binding to poetry.
From website: The Wildbranch Workshop is for writers who want to improve and market their outdoor, natural history, and environmental writing, as well as environmental educators and activists who want to bring better writing skills to bear on their work.
From website: Located at the Tinmouth Pavilion on a pristine private lake, the conference site is, in itself, conducive to freeing the mind from the stresses and troubles of contemporary life.
From website: Celebration of the written word will feature readings, signings, panels, workshops, demos, musical performances, family activities and special events featuring literary luminaries from around the world-and just around the corner.
From website: The Festival includes readings, panel discussions, and special events, featuring emerging and established authors.
Annual literary festival hosted by Hollins University in Roanoke with readings, poetry panel, and literary prizes.
From website: The mission of the Virginia Festival of the Book is to bring together writers and readers and to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture.
From website: An unparalleled opportunity to see literature in action, to interact with authors and exhibitors of acclaimed national renown as well as our own gifted faculty and students, to participate in intimate panel discussions, and to sit back and simply satisfy the literary cravings within us all.
From website: Want to be a writer who makes people think, ponder, and listen? Then this is the place for you.
From website: Our mission is to provide writers uninterrupted time in a unique historical space within an environment of natural beauty.
From website: The rock stars of writing, the chroniclers of our age. Reading and talking about writing.
From website: Electrify Your Writing.
From website: The festival has honored a living writer with strong ties to the Appalachian region, an author who comes to campus for a reading and a public interview and who listens to two or three papers about her/his work.
From website: Offers events for people of all ages-lectures, readings, and book signings, workshops and panel discussions, visits by festival authors to local colleges/universities, poetry slams, the KPBX Kid's Concert, and other youth events.
From website: Whether you are experienced or new to writing, have a special project in mind, need a jumpstart or are switching genres, our conference provides the professional guidance you are looking for in writing and publishing memoir, non-fiction, fiction and poetry.
From website: You'll have the opportunity to not only create and revise works, but also to engage creatively and critically with writers who work beyond the bounds of well-behaved American literature.
From website: Network with fellow writers, improve your craft, and meet agents and editors.
From website: This well-established conference, focused on the craft of writing, offers an affordable experience for writers of all levels, with a variety of intimate high quality workshops at the Frances Anderson Center in Edmonds
From website: We invite you to join with us as we create a cultural environment for writers that provides the best possible combination of literary resources and inspiring surroundings.
From website: LitFest will host an impressive list of authors covering a wide range of styles and approaches. They will include author presentations, book signings, workshops, readings, and much more.
From website: The conference includes break-out sessions, hands-on workshops, a delicious salmon buffet lunch, and plenty of time to meet and discuss the writing life with fellow writers.
From website: We’re a small festival focused on developing our craft while networking with like-minded folks. We believe true education should offer an opportunity to grow and change. So we’ve structured our program for hands-on experience and cooperative dialogue, not info-loading.
Annual conference with three days of writing workshops, competitions, informal discussions, bookstore, and silent auction. Open to people in West Virginia.
From website: All participants will meet individually with workshop faculty for intensive one-on-one conferences. These are intended to focus and refine the work being done around seminar tables and in classrooms.
From website: Each year the festival offers something for book lovers of all ages and interests: authors, publishers, book vendors, the Festival Marketplace, a special section just for children, a used book sale, meet the author events, workshops and panel discussions.
From website: This three-day conference includes workshops, panel discussions, manuscript reviews and more to help you succeed as a writer. Take this opportunity to network and get inspired by other writers.
From website: The new, aspiring writer as well as the advanced writer. Writers of poetry, screenplays, novels, nonfiction books, and freelancers aching to mine the Internet for dollars—we have something for all of you.
From the website: Immerse yourself in a focused, intensive and exhilarating writing experience this summer when you "Write by the Lake."
From website: The School of the Arts at Rhinelander is a multidisciplinary, hands-on arts program for adults.
From website: Whether you are experienced or new to writing, have a special project in mind, need a jumpstart or are switching genres, our conference provides the professional guidance you are looking for in writing and publishing memoir, non-fiction, fiction and poetry.
From website: Every fall, in the Wisconsin River Valley near Spring Green, nationally renowned authors and poets meet with area wide lovers of books and writing to explore the importance of the literary arts to human understanding.
2010 dates TBA
From website: The annual event [. . .] provides seasoned and emerging writers the opportunity to talk with peers, to discuss their work, and to learn from the pros in workshops.
2010 dates TBA
From website: The program aims to encourage fresh and innovative thinking in the arts and literature by providing residencies and work space for individual artists and writers whose work indicates both involvement in individual creative exploration and significant future accomplishments.
From website: Every summer, passion for the written word brings writers together in Grand Teton National Park's backyard. Jackson Hole Writers Conference attendees are young and old, veterans and tenderfoots who all share one common denominator: they all love writing.
From website: The goal of the festival is to engage the community in this country’s rich and diverse literary culture and to bring attention to local writers.
From website: Writing With Style is a unique opportunity for writers of all levels to participate in a week-long workshop at The Banff Centre, a setting for artists that is both inspiring and productive.
From website: Brings you words worth writing, works worth reading, writers worth quoting, texts worth teaching – all kinds of words that can make the world a better place. And what are those words? Inclusion and diversity, for a start. Fighting words. Respect, commitment, quality, innovation. And fun!
From website: [We celebrate] the world’s best writing from home and abroad with an eclectic program that presents interactions with leaders in the worlds of science, history, poetry, politics, spoken word, economics, drama, fiction, biography, music, religion, spirituality and more.
From website: Offers special working & learning opportunity to writers at different stages of development. Top quality instruction, low instructor-writer ratio, & the rural Saskatchewan setting offer conditions ideal for the pursuit of excellence in the arts of fiction & poetry.
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From website: The Summer Literary Seminar programs are premised on the idea that creative writing benefits considerably from the keen sense of temporary displacement created by an immersion in a thoroughly foreign culture and street vernacular.
From website: The Lakefield Literary Festival celebrates its rich literary history each July on the weekend closest to Margaret Laurence's birthday (July 18th) and showcases many current Canadian authors.
From website: An event to celebrate excellent Canadian authors and literature on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron. Held in various Bayfield Heritage Settings with author readings and discussion times with the audience. Book signings follow.
From website: Invites mid-level writers to engage in small-group sessions in one of four categories: fiction, memoir, playwriting, and poetry.
From website: The SFU Summer Publishing Workshops offer you a chance to learn from and work with more than 100 of Canada’s top editors, writers, marketers, designers, publishers, and new media moguls.
From website: Join Canada's longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers, featuring established literary stars and exciting, new voices... with opportunities for writers and readers to mingle amidst Rockwood's heritage gardens.
From website: Join us for a fabulous weekend filled with readings, fun, music, and great traditional Newfoundland food.
From website: “To inspire, educate and motivate aspiring and experienced writers alike” has been the goal of the Surrey International Writers’ Conference since its humble beginnings. It is a goal that everyone involved with the conference today continues to embrace.
From website: [P]rovide[s] a forum for participants in the book publishing industry, librarians, researchers and teachers from around the world to discuss the past, present and future of the book.
From website: This department is devoted to all aspects of literary arts, and to developing a forum for the exchange of ideas in contemporary art and literature. Rigorous, innovative, and critical approaches in writing and publishing are developed through programs that support professionals at various stages in their careers.
Annual festival hosted in Yellowknife to celebrate northern and aboriginal writers. Each year there are readings, a writing contest, and workshops. 2009 theme: Many Visions, Many Paths
From website: Puts the spotlight on Calgary's innovative writing & arts community with [. . .] readings, performances, concerts, art, film and more!
From website: A celebration of the vast amount [of] literary activity happening every day in this country. It is an affirmation of our indebtedness to everyone who reads, writes, publishes, discusses or gathers in the name of literature.
From website: We will feature a line-up of wonderful writers with world-wide audiences and a weekend of non-stop literary delights. If you want to improve your own writing skills you’re in luck [. . .] we will offer a wide variety of workshops by renowned teachers.
Events include workshops, reading sets and seminars. So, sign up for our monthly e-news to receive all the latest festival news and contest announcements.
One day of author readings, public readings, workshops, panel discussions and storytelling including poetry with music and art will allow you to travel with new voices to different lands and have the opportunity to become a part of their human experience.
From website: The Whitehorse Poetry Festival takes place every two years and features writers from across Canada and the US. The festival consists of readings, panel discussions and craft talks devoted to poetry and poetics.
From website: A four-day writing experience at beautiful Kilmory Resort [for] emerging and mid-level writers.
From website: The Festival presents an eclectic series of events, including: readings, poetry, spoken word, musical cabaret, current events, youth and Francophone programming and conversational-style discussions.
From website: Internationally renowned and undiscovered authors mingle with 14,000 readers of all ages in intimate, interactive and informal settings on Granville Island, an urban oasis in the heart of Vancouver.
From website: LitFest is Canada's only Creative Non-Fiction Festival. It brings together some of the world's best selling, award winning and emerging authors, writers, filmmakers, and artists with audiences at readings, panel discussions and presentations.
From website: Summer Literary Seminars in Kenya (SLS-Kenya) is the only creative-writing and cultural program of its kind in East Africa.
From website: Write and practice yoga twice each day. Swim, kayak, hike. Boat to traditional Mayan villages, market towns, weavers of gorgeous fabrics. Experience Guatemala's rich culture and learn about its history and sacred traditions.
From website: The VCCA is pleased to offer two workshops for writers at our beautiful new facility in Auvillar, a tiny unspoiled village in the south of France.
From website: Annual summer fiction-writing seminar in historic Sozopol in Bulgaria. The seminar consists of intensive daily fiction workshops, roundtable discussions, and readings/lectures by faculty and participants.
From website: Writers, comedians and musicians that have the capacity to change our lives, to share new visions of the world, and to do that incredibly sexy thing – to renew our sense of wonder.
From website: The aim of the workshop is to set a course for revision through a deep and detailed analysis of the text, with honest, practical feedback.
From website: Teaching people ways to develop their creativity and use it in life, work, and creative expression. We do this through a unique series of exercises in creative writing, drawing, memoir and storytelling.
From website: In addition to taking classes and amassing writing portfolios, students will participate in one-on-one critiques with professional writers, give readings in Parisian bookshops, and receive "survival" French lessons.
From website: Study abroad with some of the finest writers, poets, playwrights, visual artists and scholars from America and Central Europe. 2009 Theme: The Nature of Mother Nature
Experience writing in the heart of Mexico near many important literary and artistic sites. Sponsored by the UNO, these writing workshops offer help from experienced writers and teachers with other writers and scholars giving readings.
From website: We will explore ways to expand our creativity through a series of exercises including guided visualization technique, automatic drawing and writing, map making, memoir, and storytelling.
From website: Teaching people ways to develop their creativity and use it in life, work, and creative expression. We do this through a unique series of exercises in creative writing, drawing, memoir and storytelling.
From website: Under the direction of Edith Isaac-Rose and Bea Kreloff, artists and writers are invited to join committed adults in an atmosphere of serious study and enjoyable play.
From website: There will be lectures on Lithuanian Literature and Culture, travel writing, and folk arts as well as other writing-themed and cultural lectures. Readings, roundtable discussions and tours of the city and its outlying areas will also be included.
From website: Peter Murphy will be leading this Wales Getaway. He will challenge you to stretch your imagination by exploring your personal myth to produce new poems or prose based on life experiences, fantasies and dreams.
From website: [P]rovide[s] a forum for participants in the book publishing industry, librarians, researchers and teachers from around the world to discuss the past, present and future of the book.
From website: Abroad Writers' Conferences are devoted to introducing our participants to world views here in the United States and Abroad. Throughout the world we invite several authors to come join us to give readings and to participate on a panel.
From website: At each workshop you will learn the techniques you need to write with power and passion, in your own voice, regardless of genre.
From brochure: Travel to the historic artists' colony of Pont-Aven for an intensive workshop in Travel Writing. The immersion setting and individual attention from the instructor make this an ideal opportunity for students to enjoy an international learning experience.
From website: The IAWW serves people interested in exploring their creativity through artistic expression and looking for a secure, hassle-free way to visit exotic destinations and take classes from award-winning artists.
From website: Il Chiostro brings Italy to people. We do it in a unique and intimate way with a focus on the arts. We offer workshops in photography, painting, cooking, writing and more.
From website: The Paris Writers' Workshop welcomes all adults seeking to improve their writing skills – newcomers as well as the more experienced. Courses and lectures are conducted in English.
From website: Travel to the flower-bedecked, haunting island of Bali and, amid the tropical breezes and the terraced rice paddies, write, write, write.
