Writing Conferences & Festivals
A guide to writing conferences, writing workshops, writing retreats,
writing centers, residencies, symposiums, plus book & literary festivals
Conference Classifieds - Sponsored Conferences - Complete Conference List
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Conference Classifieds
Sponsored Conferences - Complete Conference List
Posted May 23, 2013
The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction
Registration deadline: Until filled
June 23-27, 2013, New Hampshire
We all have true stories to tell: about worlds we know well and new worlds
we discover daily. This workshop shows how to capture both, using the power
of voice, storytelling, memory and grace of language to make nonfiction
writing come alive. Using in-class exercises as springboards, participants
explore strategies for turning fragments of memory and observation into
memoir, personal essay, profiles and narrative journalism. Led by Mimi
Schwartz and limited to just 10 participants. Join us in New Hampshire
for this supportive writing workshop with uninterrupted writing time,
workshops and homemade meals.
Learn more and register online.
Posted May 15, 2013
top of page
Nora Roberts Writing Institute
August 2-3, 2013
Registration deadline: July 31, 2013
Join other beginning and aspiring writers on Aug. 2 and 3, 2013 for the Nora Roberts Writing Institute (NRWI) at Hagerstown Community College, in Maryland. Learn techniques of fiction writing. Named after local resident and bestselling author Nora Roberts, this two-day retreat features breakout sessions on screenwriting, plot development, and publishing. Keynote speakers are renowned authors Sylvia Day and Erica Bauermeister. The NRWI also features a Young Writers Institute, for tenth through twelfth grade students who write fiction. Bring the family and make a weekend of it in historic Western Maryland. Register or learn more at nrwi.hagerstowncc.edu.
[originally posted on April 15, 2013]
Posted May 13, 2013
top of page
Click photo for larger image
Get Away to Write – Scotland
August 8-15, 2013
Write in Scotland. Join us for a week of writing and exploring this beautiful country. This Writing Getaway will feature supportive workshops, readings by local writers and excursions to remote castles, fishing villages, Edinburgh and more.
"The program was one of the most enjoyable vacations I ever had.
The friendships, the creativity, the entire experience of the
workshop, guest speakers and excursions amounted to a trip I
will never forget. It helped me as a writer, as a potential
novelist, and I'll be back."
—Walt M., Linwood, NJ
Posted May 2, 2013
top of page
CClick for larger image
5th North American
Historical Novel Society Conference
Online application deadline: June 15, 2013
We’re the North American branch of the London-based HNS, and we
have a conference for both readers and authors of historical fiction
every two years. This year it’s in St. Petersburg, Florida, from
June 21-23. Our Guests of Honor are Anne Perry and Steve Berry, as
well as special luncheon speaker C.W. ortner. Attendees can meet
with Editors and Agents, included in the conference fee of $325 for
members, $350 for non-members of HNS. We have panels, workshops,
presentations — a late night “sex scene” reading with Diana Gabaldon,
and even an historical costume fashion show! Our website is at
www.hns-conference.org.
Click image to
oopen PDF
The Creativity Workshop
New York, Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence, Florence
"I produced as much poetry in the 5 day Crete Workshop as I
did in a month in a conventional poetry workshop."
—Sally Naylor,
Poet, Chattanooga, TN
In The Creativity Workshop we use many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, poem, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write. You will do free writing, guided visualizations, collaborative writing, journaling, memoir and even some rudimentary drawing, collage and photography. Read more about The Creativity Workshop.
Posted May 1, 2013
top of page
The Chesapeake Writers’ Conference at St. Mary’s College of Maryland
The Chesapeake Writers’ Conference at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is now accepting applications for summer 2013. Join a community of writers on Maryland’s beautiful Western Shore for a week of workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and readings, as well as daily workshops in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, all led by accomplished faculty. In your free time, you can explore southern Maryland’s beaches, bays, wineries and restaurants. June 23-29, 2013. Rolling admission. www.smcm.edu/summer/writing
Posted April 29, 2013
top of page
Click photo for larger image
Hub City Writers Project Writers House Residency
Application deadline: June 1, 2013 (postmark)
The Writers House is a residency for early-career writers, preferably without a published book, in a historic cottage in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. The program is open to emerging writers in the United States who have completed a graduate school degree in creative writing within the past five years, or are in the midst of one, and includes a strong community service element. Residents receive lodging, utilities, and a twice-monthly stipend; they are responsible for their own transportation and meals. The nine-month residency runs from Sept. 15 to May 31. Applications must be postmarked by June 1.
Sponsored Conferences
Conference Classifieds - Complete Conference List
Raleigh Review Writer's Studio
Raleigh Review Writers’ Studio & Bookshop Loft Workshops with Elaine Neil Orr (February 2013 Memoir), Marie Howe (March 2013 Advanced Poetry) and Dorianne Laux & Joseph Millar (April 2013 Advanced Poetry).
April 20-21, 2013
Southampton Arts Summer Workshops
in Writing, Theatre and Visual Arts
Also known as the Southampton Writers Conference, we’ve hosted writing workshops for 38 years in the most coveted resort location in America—The Hamptons. First-tier faculty & minutes to the beach. Where else would you want to be in July?
July 10-28, 2013
Tin House Summer Writers Workshop
The Tin House Summer Writers Workshop is a weeklong intensive of workshops, seminars, panels, and readings led by the editors of Tin House magazine and Tin House Books and their guests – prominent contemporary American writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
July 14-21, 2013
The Northwestern Summer Writers' Conference
Choose from a wide range of writers’ workshops, gain insight from daily faculty panel discussions, submit your work for manuscript consultations, and hone your craft in a constructive, supportive environment.
August 1-3, 2013
Algonkian Writer Conferences
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.
Year-Round, locations vary
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
The Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference provides the faculty, connections, and tools necessary to set poets with a book-length (including chapbook-length) manuscript on a path towards publication.
Year-Round
Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway
NOT YOUR TYPICAL WRITERS' CONFERENCE. Energize your writing with challenging and supportive workshops that focus on starting new material. Advance your craft with feedback from our award-winning faculty.
2014 dates TBA
Complete Conference List
Sponsored Conferences - Conference Classifieds
Alabama
top of page
The Alabama Writers' Conclave [con]
July 12-14, 2013
Auburn Writers Conference
"The Winding Road: Travel, Identity, and the Search for Voice"
October 18-19, 2013
Montevallo Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Alabama Writers Symposium
2014 dates TBA
Alaska
top of page
Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference
June 14-18, 2013
Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop
2013 Theme: Writing on the River
July 27 - August 1,2013
Alaska Writers Conference
2013 dates TBA
Arizona
top of page
Northern Arizona Book Festival
May 18, 2013
University of Arizona Poetry Center Summer Residency Program
Application deadline: December 16, 2013
June 1 - August 31 (annual)
Write Now! [con]
thrillers, mysteries
August 16-17, 2013
Casa Libre en la Solana [cen]
Where the Writer is Inn
Year-Round
University of Arizona Poetry Center
“Poetry is the food of the spirit, and spirit is the instigator and flow of all revolutions.”
Year-Round
Wrangling with Writing [con]
The New Century in Writing and Publishing
2013 dates TBA
Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference
Writing popular fiction: mystery, thriller, fantasy, science fiction, and youth
2014 dates TBA
Arkansas
top of page
Arkansas Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
California
top of page
Women's Literary Festival
June 1, 2013
Santa Barbara Writers Conference
June 8-13, 2013
Idyllwild Arts: Summer Writing Programs
June 16 - August 11, 2013
Squaw Valley Community of Writers [con]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, screenwriting
Application deadline: April 5, 2013
June 22-29 [poetry], July 8-15 [writers workshops/screenwriting], 2013
Book Passage Children's Writers & Illustrators Conference
Children's books
June 20-23, 2013
Voices Summer Writing Workshop
fiction, poetry, memoir, LBGTQ narrative
June 23-29, 2013
UC Berkeley Summer Fiction Writing Intensive
fiction
Writing sample deadline: June 3, 2013
July 15-19, 2013
Mendocino Coast Writers Conference
memoir, poetry, fiction
July 25-27, 2013
Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference
mysteries
July 25-28, 2013
Napa Valley Writers' Conference
poetry, fiction, lectures, readings
July 28 - August 2, 2013
Book Passage Travel, Food & Photographers Conference
travel writing, photography
August 8-11, 2013
Santa Barbara Summer Poetry Workshop
poetry
August 17-18, 2013
Central Coast Writers' Conference
fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, freelancing, poetry, Children's/YA, screenwriting
September 20-21, 2013
North Coast Redwoods Writers' Conference
September 20-21, 2013
Southern California Writers' Conference - L.A.
A Weekend for Words
September 20-22, 2013
Pacific Coast Children's Writers Whole-Novel Workshop
Middle Grade/YA; Editor, agent, and/or target-age reader critiques
2013 Theme: "Scenes, Arcs, and Cinematic Elements in Your Fiction."
Deadline: June 20, 2013 (or until filled)
October 4-6, 2013
Western Literature Association Conference
"Califia: The West Calling the World"
Call for papers deadline: June 15, 2013
October 9-12, 2013
Litquake [fest]
San Francisco's Literary Festival
October 11-19, 2013
Big Sur Writing Workshops
Children's/YA books
December 6-8, 2013
San Francisco Writers Conference
February 13-16, 2014
Southern California Writers' Conference - San Diego
February 14-17, 2014
Writers Studio at UCLA Extension
February 2014 (exact dates TBA)
Algonkian Writer Conferences
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.
Year-Round
Ojai Writers Conference & Workshops
Year-Round
Sacramento Poetry Center
Year-Round
Ojai Wordfest: A Celebration of Words, Ideas, and Stories
workshops, readings
2014 dates TBA
Colorado
top of page
Aspen Summer Words Writing Retreat & Literary Festival
[listed under PROGRAMS link]
June 16-21, 2013
Scribes & Scribblers Creative Writing Camps for Kids
[listed under PROGRAMS link]
June - July, 2013
Naropa University Summer Writing Program
Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics
poetry, fiction, translation, letterpress printing
July 1-27, 2013
Lighthouse Writers Workshop [cen]
Year-Round
Northern Colorado Writers Conference
poetry, fiction, essays, articles, agent/editor pitch sessions
2014 dates TBA
Connecticut
top of page
Yale Writers' Conference
fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting
Application deadlines: March 31, 2013
June 10-19 [writing skills], June 21-23 [genre-specific], 2013
Sunken Garden Poetry Festival
June 12 - August 7, 2013
Wesleyan Writers Conference
seminars, workshops, readings, panel discussions, manuscript consultations
June 12-16, 2013
Washington D.C.
top of page
Split This Rock Poetry Festival
"Poems of Provocation & Witness"
March 27-30, 2014
Algonkian Writer Conferences
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.
Year-Round, locations vary
Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival
2013 dates TBA
Delaware
top of page
Florida
top of page
The Writers Institute - Florida Center for the Literary Arts
fiction, nonfiction, poetry, publishing
May 8-11, 2013
Tallahassee Writers Conference & Book Festival
May 17-18, 2013
Historical Novel Society Annual Conference
Click for larger image
5th North American Historical Novel Society Conference
Online application deadline: June 15, 2013
We’re the North American branch of the London-based HNS, and we
have a conference for both readers and authors of historical fiction
every two years. This year it’s in St. Petersburg, Florida, from
June 21-23. Our Guests of Honor are Anne Perry and Steve Berry, as
well as special luncheon speaker C.W. Gortner. Attendees can meet
with Editors and Agents, included in the conference fee of $325 for
members, $350 for non-members of HNS. We have panels, workshops,
presentations — a late night “sex scene” reading with Diana Gabaldon,
and even an historical costume fashion show! Our website is at
www.hns-conference.org.
Other Words [con]
2013 Theme: Writing Florida: The First 500 Years
Proposal deadline: June 1, 2013
November 7-10, 2013
Sanibel Island Writers Conference
November 7-10, 2013
Miami Book Fair International
November 17-24, 2013
Blue Flower Arts Winter Writers' Conference
January 5-10, 2014
Key West Literary Seminar
"The Dark Side"
January 9-12, 16-19, 2014
Palm Beach Poetry Festival
reading events, craft lectures, poetry workshops
January 20-25, 2014
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Year-Round
The Studios of Key West [cen/res]
Year-Round
FIU Writers Conference
2013 dates TBA
VONA/Voices - The Miami Workshop
fiction, poetry, memoir, LBGTQ narrative
2014 dates TBA
Writers in Paradise [con]
2014 dates TBA
Las Dos Brujas
fiction, nonfiction, poetry
2014 dates TBA
Florida Writers' Conference
narrative, journalism, literary writing
2014 dates TBA
WriteLines on Daytona Beach [ret]
2014 dates TBA
Georgia
top of page
Southeastern Writers Association Writers Workshop
June 14-18, 2013
Marguerite & Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers [res]
Application deadline: 2014 TBA
September - November
Chattahoochee Valley Writers' Conference
September 25-28, 2013
Scribblers' Retreat Writers' Conference
September 26-28, 2013
Georgia Literary Festival
November 8-9, 2013
Savannah Book Festival
Lose yourself in books!
February 13-16, 2014
Dahlonega Literary Festival & Writer's Conference
March 7-9, 2014
National Black Arts Festival
Year-Round
Southern Women Writers Conference
2014 dates TBA
Southern Literary Festival
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, panel discussions
2014 dates TBA
Agnes Scott College Writers' Festival
2014 dates TBA
Hawaii
top of page
Volcano Art Center
Year-Round
Idaho
top of page
Sun Valley Writers' Conference
Fiction, Nonfiction, Journalism, Poetry, Filmmaking.
August 23-26, 2013
Illinois
top of page
The Northwestern Summer Writers' Conference
Choose from a wide range of writers’ workshops, gain insight from daily faculty panel discussions, submit your work for manuscript consultations, and hone your craft in a constructive, supportive environment.
August 1-3, 2013
Writers in the Heartland [res]
Application deadline: April 30, 2013
August 30 - September 7; September 27 - October 5, 2013
Madeline P. Plonsker Emerging Writer's Residency
Application period: January 1 - March 1 (annual)
2014: prose
February - March or March - April
The Chicago School of Poetics
Year-Round
Ragdale [ret]
Year-Round
Writer's Studio [cen]
Year-Round
Millikin University Literary Festival
2013 dates TBA
Lake Forest Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Indiana
top of page
Indiana University Writers' Conference
Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction
May 26-31, 2013
Midwest Writers Conference
July 25-27, 2013
Iowa
top of page
Herbert Hoover Artist-in-Residence Program
May - September
The Iowa Writers' Workshop Summer Program
poetry, fiction
Application deadline: March 1, 2013
May 20 - June 7; June 11 - August 2, 2013
Iowa Summer Writing Festival
June - July, 2013
Iowa Young Writers' Studio
June 16-29; July 7-20, 2013
Between the Lines: The Writing Experience
*for ages 16-19*
English-language literature seminar, creative writing workshops
June 22 - July 6 (Arabic/English); July 13 - 27, 2013 (Russian/English)
David R. Collins Writers' Conference
Novel, Nonfiction, Poetry
June 27-29, 2013
Creative Writing Seminar for Helping Professionals
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, craft lectures
Registration deadline: July 5, 2013
July 19-22, 2013
Mission Creek Festival
2014 dates TBA
Kansas
top of page
Campbell Conference
science fiction
June 13-16, 2013
Kentucky
top of page
Kentucky Women's Book Festival
May 18, 2013
Kentucky Women Writers Conference
September 20-21, 2013
Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning
Year-Round
Kentucky Writers Conference
2014 dates TBA
Southern Kentucky Book Festival
2014 dates TBA
Louisiana
top of page
Saints & Sinners: An Alternative Literary Festival
LGBT literature
May 23-26, 2013
Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Louisiana Conference on Literature, Language & Culture
2014 dates TBA
Maine
top of page
Stonecoast Writers' Conference
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
July 21-27, 2013
The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
nonfiction
February - May; September - December
Maryland
top of page
Chesapeake Writers’ Conference at St. Mary’s College of Maryland
The Chesapeake Writers’ Conference at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is now accepting applications for summer 2013. Join a community of writers on Maryland’s beautiful Western Shore for a week of workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and readings, as well as daily workshops in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, all led by accomplished faculty. In your free time, you can explore southern Maryland’s beaches, bays, wineries and restaurants. June 23-29, 2013. Rolling admission. www.smcm.edu/summer/writing
June 23-29, 2013
Nora Roberts Writing Institute
Registration deadline: July 31, 2013
Join other beginning and aspiring writers on Aug. 2 and 3, 2013 for the Nora Roberts Writing Institute (NRWI) at Hagerstown Community College, in Maryland. Learn techniques of fiction writing. Named after local resident and bestselling author Nora Roberts, this two-day retreat features breakout sessions on screenwriting, plot development, and publishing. Keynote speakers are renowned authors Sylvia Day and Erica Bauermeister. The NRWI also features a Young Writers Institute, for tenth through twelfth grade students who write fiction. Bring the family and make a weekend of it in historic Western Maryland. Register or learn more at nrwi.hagerstowncc.edu.
August 2-3, 2013
Baltimore Book Festival
Where readers and authors connect
September 27-29, 2013
The Writer's Center
Year-Round
F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, travel writing, memoir, Children's/YA
2013 dates TBA
Bethesda Literary Festival
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, journalist
2014 dates TBA
Massachusetts
top of page
The Glen Workshop
Border Crossings: Art and Risk
June 9-16, 2013
Fine Arts Work Center Summer Workshops
creative writing, visual arts
June 16 - August 23, 2013
Juniper Summer Writing Institute [con]
readings, craft sessions, workshops
June 23-29, 2013
Young Women's Writing Workshop
for high school students only - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novel
Application deadline: May 1, 2013
July 22 - August 4, 2013
Cape Cod Writers' Center Annual Summer Writers' Conference & Young Writers' Workshop
August 4-9, 2013
Patchwork Farm Retreat
writing, yoga, meditation
October 3-6, 2013
New England Crime Bake
mysteries
November 8-10, 2013
Amherst Writers & Artists
Year-Round
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
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.
Year-Round
The Norman Mailer Center [res/ret/wkshp]
Year-Round
Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill
Poetry, Travel, Blogging
Year-Round
Michigan
top of page
Writing the Midwest: A Symposium of Scholars and Creative Writers
Call for papers deadline: February 5, 2013
May 9-11, 2013
Bear River Writers' Conference
May 30 - June 3, 2013
The Box Factory for the Arts [cen]
Year-Round
Ludington Visiting Writers
Year-Round
Springfed Arts [cen]
Year-Round
Ann Arbor Book Festival & Writer's Conference
2013 dates TBA
Minnesota
top of page
Writers Retreat Workshop
June 14-23, 2013
The Loft Literary Center
Year-Round
Prairie Gate Literary Festival
public readings
2014 dates TBA
Mississippi
top of page
Mississippi Writers Guild Conference
August 3-4, 2013
Missouri
top of page
New Letters Weekend Writers Conference
Writing for Love, Money, & Immortality
June 28-30, 2013
Washington University Summer Writers Institute
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
July 12-26, 2013
Women Writing the West Annual Conference
group sessions, breakout sessions, publishing, marketing, agents, editors
October 11-13, 2013
Mark Twain Creative Writing Workshop
June 2014 (exact dates TBA)
Missouri Writers Guild Conference
2014 dates TBA
Montana
top of page
Flathead River Writers Conference
Writers helping writers
September 28-29, 2013
Humanities Montana Festival of the Book
readings, panels, exhibits, demonstrations, signings, workshops
October 10-12, 2013
Environmental Writing Institute [con]
environmental writing
2013 dates TBA
Nebraska
top of page
Prairie Writers' Workshop
fiction
May 2-5, 2013
Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Residencies
Application deadline: September 1 (session 1), March 1 (session 2)
Year-Round
Nevada
top of page
Public Safety Writers Association Conference
mysteries, fiction, nonfiction
July 11-14, 2013
Las Vegas Writer's Conference
2014 dates TBA
New Hampshire
top of page
Odyssey: The Fantasy Writing Workshop
Fantasy
Application deadline: April 8, 2013
June 10 - July 19, 2013
The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction
Registration deadline: Until filled
June 23-27, 2013, New Hampshire
We all have true stories to tell: about worlds we know well and new worlds
we discover daily. This workshop shows how to capture both, using the power
of voice, storytelling, memory and grace of language to make nonfiction
writing come alive. Using in-class exercises as springboards, participants
explore strategies for turning fragments of memory and observation into
memoir, personal essay, profiles and narrative journalism. Led by Mimi
Schwartz and limited to just 10 participants. Join us in New Hampshire
for this supportive writing workshop with uninterrupted writing time,
workshops and homemade meals.
Learn more and register online.
Live Free And Write
fiction, nonfiction
June 23-27, 2013
The Frost Place [cen/con/fest/res/sem]
poetry, teaching
June 23-27; July 14-20; August 4-10, 2013
Star Island Retreat
September 2-6 or 6-8, 2013
New Jersey
top of page
Rutgers-Camden Summer Writers' Conference
workshops, readings
June 24 - July 3, 2013
Summer Writer's Workshop at Georgian Court University
fiction workshops
July 12-14, 2013
International Women's Writing Guild Summer Conference
"ReIMAGINE the Magic"
August 7-12, 2013
Quickie Poetry Getaway [ret]
poetry workshops
November 2-3, 2013
Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway
NOT YOUR TYPICAL WRITERS' CONFERENCE. Energize your writing with challenging and supportive workshops that focus on starting new material. Advance your craft with feedback from our award-winning faculty.
January 17-20, 2014
The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College
Year-Round
WAMFEST: The Words & Music Festival
2013 dates TBA
Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
bienniel
2014 dates TBA
Ocean View Poetry Getaway [ret]
poetry workshops
2014 dates TBA
New Mexico
top of page
Taos Summer Writers' Conference
Fiction, Memoir, Poetry, Craft Lessons
July 14-21, 2013
Green River Writer's Workshop
memoir
July 18-21, 2013
Writing the Short Story with John Dufresne [con]
fiction
July 22-24, 2013
The Glen Workshop
Border Crossings: Art and Risk
July 28 - August 4, 2013
Taos Writing Retreat for Health Professional
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenplays
August 4-10, 2013
A Room Of Her Own Retreat
August 12-18, 2013
PubWest Conference
"The Innovative Publisher"
November 7-9, 2013
New York
top of page
Crime Fiction Academy
crime fiction
February - May, 2013
PEN World Voices [fest]
conversations, readings, performances
April 29 - May 5, 2013
Backspace Writers Conference
agent-author seminar, panel discussions, writing workshops
May 23-25, 2013
Writers in New York
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
May 28 - June 30, 2013
Sarah Lawrence College Summer Writers Seminar
May 30 - August 20, 2013
The Edward F. Albee Foundation [res]
Application deadline: March 1, 2013
May - October
The New School Summer Writers Colony
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
June 3-20, 2013
Chautauqua Writers' Festival
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, workshops, readings, panel discussions
June 13 - 16, 2013
Vassar College & New York Stage and Film's
Powerhouse Apprentice Training Program
drama, screenwriting
June 14 - July 28, 2013
Colgate Writers' Conference
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
June 16-22, 2013
New York State Summer Writers Institute
poetry, fiction, nonfiction writing workshops
July 1-26, 2013
Southampton Arts Summer Workshops
in Writing, Theatre and Visual Arts
Also known as the Southampton Writers Conference, we’ve hosted writing workshops for 38 years in the most coveted resort location in America—The Hamptons. First-tier faculty & minutes to the beach. Where else would you want to be in July?
July 10-28, 2013
One Story Workshop for Writers
July 14-19, 2013
Woodstock Mayapple Writers' Retreat
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, mixed-genre
July 30 - August 5, 2013
Brooklyn Book Festival
September 22, 2013
NYC Independent Film Festival
October 18-20, 2013
Writer's Seminar in New York
fiction, nonfiction, manuscript evaluations
November 13-16, 2013
Algonkian Writer Conferences
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.
Year-Round
Adirondack Center for Writing
Year-Round
The Asian American Writers' Workshop [cen]
Year-Round
Cambridge Writers' Workshop [cen]
poetry, prose
Year-Round
Click image to
open PDF
The Creativity Workshop
New York, Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence, Florence
“I produced as much poetry in the 5 day Crete Workshop as I did in a month in a conventional poetry workshop.“ Sally Naylor, Poet, Chattanooga, TN
In The Creativity Workshop we use many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, poem, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write. You will do free writing, guided visualizations, collaborative writing, journaling, memoir and even some rudimentary drawing, collage and photography. Read more about The Creativity Workshop.
Dates vary, see website
The Downtown Writer's Center
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, screenwriting
Year-Round
Founders Workshops
Year-Round
Hofstra University Writing Workshops
Year-Round
Millay Colony for the Arts
residencies, workshop retreats
Dates vary, see website
New York Writers Workshop [cen]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
Year-Round
Slice Literary Writers Conference
2013 dates TBA
Fort Green Park Summer Literary Festival
2013 dates TBA
Millbrook Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Writing by Degrees
Biennial conference on writing
2014 dates TBA
Sarah Lawrence College Poetry Festival
readings, panels, small press fair, Lumina launch party
2014 dates TBA
International Women's Writing Guild Big Apple Conference
2014 dates TBA
ASJA Writers Conference
Fire up your writing career
2014 dates TBA
North Carolina
top of page
Wildacres Writers Workshop
June 30 - July 6 [ret], July 6-13, 2013 [wkshp]
Squire Summer Writing Residency
July 11-14, 2013
Carolina Mountains Literary Festival
September 12-14, 2013
Fearless Writing Retreat - Lake Logan
November 10-17, 2013
North Carolina Writers' Network Conferences
November 15-17, 2013
The Writers' Workshop of Asheville
Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Drama, Journal Writing, Children's Books, Screenwriting
Year-round
Southern Writers Symposium
2014 dates TBA
Visiting Writers Spring Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Write Now!
freelance writing, nonfiction, craft sessions, business sessions
2014 dates TBA
Raleigh Review Writer's Studio
Raleigh Review Writers’ Studio & Bookshop Loft Workshops with Elaine Neil Orr (February 2013 Memoir), Marie Howe (March 2013 Advanced Poetry) and Dorianne Laux & Joseph Millar (April 2013 Advanced Poetry).
2014 dates TBA
North Dakota
top of page
University of North Dakota Writers Conference
2014 dates TBA
Ohio
top of page
River Teeth Nonfiction Conference
manuscript consultations, seminars, readings and community
May 17-19, 2013
The Kenyon Review Writers' Workshop
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, literary hybrid/book arts workshops
June 15-22, 2013
The Jonathon R. Reynolds Young Writers Workshop
for high school students only
June 23-30, 2013
The Kenyon Review Young Writers' Workshop
for high school students only
June 23 - July 6; July 14-17, 2013
Antioch Writers' Workshop
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, poetry
July 6-12, 2013 [wkshp]
Imagination Conference
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, screenwriting
June 26-30, 2013
Ohio University's Spring Literary Festival
Poetry, Fiction and Nonfiction.
2014 dates TBA
Oklahoma
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Oklahoma Writers Federation (OWFI) Conference
May 2-4, 2013
Writing Short Course [wkshp]
"Finding Your Voice in the Changing World of Words"
September 27-29, 2013
Nimrod Conference for Readers & Writers
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, YA
October 18-19, 2013
Oregon
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The Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency
April - October
Tin House Summer Writers Workshop
The Tin House Summer Writers Workshop is a weeklong intensive of workshops, seminars, panels, and readings led by the editors of Tin House magazine and Tin House Books and their guests – prominent contemporary American writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
July 14-21, 2013
wordstock [fest]
October 3-6, 2013
Crow Arts Manor [cen]
Year-Round
Fishtrap [con/res/fest/wkshp]
Year-Round
Willamette Writers Conference
August 2-4, 2013
The Nature of Words [con/fest]
2013 dates TBA
Write to Publish "Oolicon"
2014 dates TBA
Pennsylvania
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Pennwriters Conference
May 17-19, 2013
WCU Poetry Conference
June 5-8, 2013
The Gettysburg Review Conference for Writers
poetry, prose
Application deadline: May 22, 2013
June 5-10, 2013
Bucknell Seminar for Younger Poets
Application deadline: January 31, 2013
June 9-30, 2013
Summer Advanced Writers Workshops
for high school students only - fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Application deadline: May 1, 2013
July 7-13, 2013
Celebrating African American Literature [con]
African American and Afro-Caribbean Poetry
Call for proposals deadline: March 1, 2013
October 25-26, 2013
Undergraduate Literature & Creative Writing Conference
Call for papers deadline: November 30, 2013
March 17, 2014
Founders Workshops
Year-Round
Philadelphia Book Festival
2014 dates TBA
The Write Stuff [con]
2014 dates TBA
Rhode Island
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Ocean State Summer Writing Conference
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
June 20-22, 2013
South Carolina
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Hub-Bub Artists-in-Residence Program
Application deadline: February 15 (annual)
June 15 - May 15 (annual)
Writing in Place [con]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
July 12-14, 2013
Click photo for larger image
Hub City Writers Project Writers House Residency
Application deadline: June 1, 2013 (postmark)
The Writers House is a residency for early-career writers, preferably without a published book, in a historic cottage in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. The program is open to emerging writers in the United States who have completed a graduate school degree in creative writing within the past five years, or are in the midst of one, and includes a strong community service element. Residents receive lodging, utilities, and a twice-monthly stipend; they are responsible for their own transportation and meals. The nine-month residency runs from Sept. 15 to May 31. Applications must be postmarked by June 1.
Crazyhorse Writers Conference
poetry, prose
2014 dates TBA
South Dakota
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John R. Milton Writers' Conference
2013 dates TBA
Tennessee
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The Mountain Heritage Literary Festival
June 14-16, 2013
Sewanee Young Writers' Conference
for high school students - poetry, fiction
June 30 - July 13, 2013
Sewanee Writers' Conference
poetry, fiction, drama
Application deadline: April 15, 2013
July 23 - August 4, 2013
Killer Nashville Mystery & Thriller Conference
mysteries, thrillers
August 22-25, 2013
The Southern Festival of Books
A celebration of the written word
October 11-13, 2013
Writing it Real [con]
memoir, nonfiction, fiction, poetry
2014 dates TBA
Conference on Southern Literature
2014 dates TBA
Texas
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DFW Writers' Conference
May 4-5, 2013
Writers' League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference
June 21-23, 2013
Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference
July 19-21, 2013
Writers' League of Texas Summer Writing Retreat
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
July 21-26, 2013
National Black Book Festival
October 24-26, 2013
Gemini Ink [cen]
Year-Round
SMU Continuing Studies Creative Writing Program
Year-Round
The Writers' Festival [con]
master classes, workshops
2014 dates TBA
Highland Park Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Patchwork Farm Retreat near Austin
writing, yoga, meditation
2014 dates TBA
Green River Writer's Workshop
memoir
2014 dates TBA
Austin International Poetry Festival
2014 dates TBA
Houston Indie Book Festival
2014 dates TBA
Poery at Roundtop [fest]
workshops
2014 dates TBA
Utah
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Writers at Work [con]
workshops, manuscript consultations, readings, panel discussions
June 5-9, 2013
Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers
workshops, illustrator classes, writer's boot camp
June 17-21, 2013
Vermont
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New England Young Writers' Conference
for high school students only
May 16-19, 2013
Wildbranch Writing Workshop
nature/environmental writing
Application deadline: May 10, 2013
July 14-20, 2013
Green Mountain Writer's Conference
July 29 - August 2, 2013
Postgraduate Writers' Conference
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, manuscripts
August 12-18, 2013
Bread Loaf Writers' Conference
workshops, lectures, classes
August 14-24, 2013
Burlington Book Festival
readings, signings, panels, workshops
September 20-22, 2013
Brattleboro Literary Festival
October 4-6, 2013
Vermont Studio Center [ctr/res]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation
Application deadlines: February 15, April 1 (International only), June 15, 2013
Year-Round
Virginia
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Tinker Mountain Writers' Workshop
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting workshops
June 9-14, 2013
Hampton Roads Writers' Conference
Where characters connect
September 19-21, 2013
Fall for the Book [fest]
September 22-27, 2013
James River Writers [con]
October 19-20, 2013
The Porches Writing Retreat
Year-Round
Emory & Henry College Literary Festival
2013 dates TBA
Virginia Festival of the Book
2014 dates TBA
Lex Allen Literary Festival
readings, panel discussions
2014 dates TBA
TCC Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
Washington
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Raymond Carver Festival
films, dance, reader's theater, readings, artwork
May 9-25, 2013
Vortext: Hedgebrook's Weekend Salon for Women Writers [ret]
workshops, open mics
May 31 - June 2, 2013
Chuckanut Writers Conference: Inspiration into Action
June 21-22, 2013
Centrum's Port Townsend Writers' Conference
July 7-21, 2013
PNWA Summer Writers Conference
July 25-28, 2013
LiTFUSE: A Poets' Workshop
September 27-29, 2013
Write on the Sound [con]
October 5-6, 2013
Whidbey Island Writers Conference
October 25-27, 2013
AWP Conference & Bookfair
February 26 - March 1, 2014
Hedgebrook [cen/con/res/ret]
Women Authoring Change
Year-Round
Field's End Writers' Conference
2013 dates TBA
Mid-Columbia Literary Festival
2013 dates TBA
Travel & Words
travel writing, journalism
2014 dates TBA
The Get Lit! Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
West Virginia
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West Virginia Writers Conference
June 7-9, 2013
West Virginia Writers' Workshop
"Write Here, Write Now"
July 18-21, 2013
West Virginia Book Festival
book sakes, workshops, panel discussions, author events
October 19-20, 2013
Wisconsin
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LakeFly Literary Conference
May 10-11, 2013
Elephant Rock Summer Solstice Retreat for Writing & Yoga
June 16-21, 2013
Write-by-the-Lake Writer's Workshop & Retreat
fiction, Children's/YA, nonfiction, poetry, master classes
June 17-21, 2013
UW Madison School of the Arts at Rhinelander [con]
July 20-26, 2013
UWM Spring Writers Festival [con]
2014 dates TBA
The Writers' Institute [con]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenplays
2014 dates TBA
Wyoming
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Jackson Hole Writers Conference
June 27-29, 2013
Ucross Foundation Residency Program
Deadlines: March 1 (Fall), October 1 (Spring)
Spring; Fall
Canada
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Sage Hill Writing Experience [con]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
May 10-23 (poetry colloquium); July 22 - August 1, 2013
NorthWords Writers Festival
May 30 - June 2, 2013
Whitehorse Poetry Festival
June 2013 (exact dates TBA)
Lakefield Literary Festival
July 12-14, 2013
Fernie Writers Conference
July 14-20, 2013
SFU Summer Publishing Workshops
July - August, 2013
When Words Collide [fest]
A Festival for Readers and Writers
August 9-11, 2013
Winterset in Summer [fest]
August 9-11, 2013
Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts
August 15-18, 2013
Eden Mills Writers' Festival
September 15, 2013
Piper's Frith
September 23-28, 2013
WordFest
October 15-20, 2013
Whistler Readers & Writers Festival
October 18-20, 2013
Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival
October 22-27, 2013
Surrey International Writers' Conference
October 25-27, 2013
BookFest Windsor
readings, panel discussions, signings, workshops
November 2, 2013
The Banff Centre
Year-Round
WordsThaw [sym]
panels, readings
2014 dates TBA
gritLIT - Hamilton's Literary Festival
workshops, panels, readings
2014 dates TBA
Writing With Style [con]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
Application deadlines: February 15 (Spring); June 15 (Fall)
2014 dates TBA
Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival
2014 dates TBA
The Ottawa International Writers Festival
2014 dates TBA
International
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Strokestown International Poetry Festival - Ireland
May 3-5, 2013
VCCA Fiction & Poetry Writing Workshops in the South of France
poetry, fiction, songwriting
May 13-20; August 28 - September 2, 2013
Hay Festival - Wales
May 23 - June 2, 2013
Sozopol Fiction Seminars - Bulgaria
fiction, prose
Application deadline: March 15, 2013
May 23-26, 2013
Astra Writing in Greece
May 24 - June 3, 2013
Aegean Arts Circle - Andros, Greece [con]
June 1-10; June 25 - July 4; September 1-6, 2013
The Writing Workshops in Cork, Ireland
June 8 - July 5, 2013
The Creative Writer's Workshop - Ireland [ret]
fiction, memoir
June 10-14, August 19-22, 2013
Writers in Florence - Italy [ret]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
June 15 - July 13, 2013
Left Bank Writers Retreat - Paris, France
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, Drama
June 16-21, 2013
E-Poetry - London, UK
biennial International Digital Language & Arts Festival
June 17-20, 2013
Writers in Paris - France [ret]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
June 22 - July 20, 2013
Prague Summer Program - Czech Republic
creative writing, literature, Jewish studies, yoga, photography
Application deadline: May 1, 2013
June 29 - July 27, 2013
DISQUIET - Lisbon, Portugal [wkshp]
poetry, fiction, nonfiction
June 30 - July 12, 2013
Paris Writing Workshop - Paris, France
July 1-28, 2013
Art Workshop International - Assisi, Italy
creative writing, visual arts workshops
July 17-28; July 30 - August 10, 2013
Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop - Ithaca, Greece
August 1-7, 2013
Click photo for larger image
Get Away to Write – Scotland
August 8-15, 2013
Write in Scotland. Join us for a week of writing and exploring this beautiful country. This Writing Getaway will feature supportive workshops, readings by local writers and excursions to remote castles, fishing villages, Edinburgh and more.
"The program was one of the most enjoyable vacations I ever had.
The friendships, the creativity, the entire experience of the
workshop, guest speakers and excursions amounted to a trip I
will never forget. It helped me as a writer, as a potential
novelist, and I'll be back."
—Walt M., Linwood, NJ
Melbourne Writers Festival - Australia
August 22 - September 1, 2013
Bread Loaf Writers' Conference - Sicily, Italy
workshops, lectures, classes
September 15-21, 2013
International Conference on the Book - Regensburg, Germany
Proposal deadline: February 8, 2013
September 26-27, 2013
Summer Literary Seminar - Kenya
December 8-21, 2013
U.S. Poets in Mexico Poetry Conference
December 28, 2013 - January 4, 2014
Sirenland Writers Conference - Positano, Italy
April 6-12, 2014
Click image to
open PDF
The Creativity Workshop
New York, Prague, Dubai, Crete, Barcelona, Provence, Florence
“I produced as much poetry in the 5 day Crete Workshop as I did in a month in a conventional poetry workshop.“ Sally Naylor, Poet, Chattanooga, TN
In The Creativity Workshop we use many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, poem, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write. You will do free writing, guided visualizations, collaborative writing, journaling, memoir and even some rudimentary drawing, collage and photography. Read more about The Creativity Workshop.
Year-Round, locations vary
Eat-Write-Travel
Dates & locations vary
The Plough Arts Centre - Great Torrington, UK
Year-Round
Myth, Mountain & Imagination - Wales
2014 dates TBA
Perth International Arts Festival - Australia
2014 dates TBA
San Miguel Writers' Conference - Mexico
2014 dates TBA
Online
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The Virtual Poetry Seminars
advanced poetry seminar, poetry masterclass
Application deadline: May 8, 2013
May 20 - July 1, 2013
Cambridge Writers' Workshop [cen]
poetry, prose
Year-Round
The Chicago School of Poetics
Year-Round
In The Company of Writers.com
Year-Round Webinars
The Cutthroat Online Writing Mentorship Program
Year-Round
The Memoir Writing Club
Year-Round
The Rooster Moans Poetry Cooperative
poetry
Year-Round
Zoetrope: All-Story Fiction and Screenwriting
Dates vary, see website
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