Writers Conferences from San Francisco to VT

With the new year quickly approaching, it isn't too early to consider attending 2016 writers' conferences! Here's a round-up of several top-notch conferences that cover the west coast, east coast and midwest, ordered by date of event. Some require an application to register:

San Francisco Writers Conference
Date: Feb. 11 - 14, 2016
Location: Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco
Cost: $725 (early rate until Jan. 1)
Register: click here

Highlights: 80+ sessions for writers–from the craft of writing to the business of publishing. Elegant keynote luncheons and networking breakfasts are included in the registration fee as is the Welcome Gala on Friday night. See list of presenters, agents and editors here.

AWP Conference & Bookfair
Date: March 30 - April 2, 2016
Location: Los Angeles Convention Center & JW Marriott LA
Cost: varies ($50 student to $260 nonmember
Register: Pre-reg. until Feb. 12

Highlights:  The 2015 conference featured over 2,000 presenters and 550 readings, panels, and craft lectures. The bookfair hosted over 800 presses, journals, and literary organizations from around the world. AWP’s is now the largest literary conference in North America. See list of presenters here.

Creative Nonfiction Writers' Conference
Date: May 27 - 29, 2016
Location: Wyndham University Center, Pittsburgh
Cost: not listed
Register: opens Dec. 15

Highlights: In just three days you can meet one-on-one with a literary agent, get advice from professional writers, learn about publishing options, and do some writing in an inspiring small-group session. You’ll also meet and mingle with writers from across the country who share your excitement about the writing process. 

The Riverteeth Nonfiction Writers Conference
Date: June 3 - 5, 2016
Location: Ashland, Ohio
Cost: $425 (student scholarships available by March 15)
Apply: Applications submitted before April 15 will receive a $50 discount on registration

Highlights: A weekend of manuscript consultations, seminars, and readings, all focused on the craft of nonfiction. The conference will emphasize essay, memoir, literary journalism, and building the kind of relationships that sustain writers throughout the writing process, from early draft all the way through to book promotion. Your conference registration fee includes admission into all panels, seminars, social events, book signings, and open-mics, breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a complimentary one-year subscription to River Teeth. See list of presenters, including keynote Dinty W. Moore, here.

Bread Loaf Orion Environmental Writers' Conference
Date: June 3 - 9, 2016
Location: Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College, Ripton, VT
Cost: $2,140 general contributors; $1,820 auditors. Includes tuition, room, and board)
Apply: March 15 deadline; $15 fee

Highlights: This week-long conference of workshops, classes, lectures, readings, and discussions is for writers who want to improve their writing about the environment; for writers who seek to become better advocates for the environment through their writing; for poets who are drawn to writing about the natural world; for teachers and scholars who wish to write for a more general readership; and for environmental professionals who want to bring better writing skills to bear on their work. See list of faculty & guests here.

Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers' Conference
Date: Aug. 10 - 20, 2016
Location: Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College, Ripton, VT
Cost: $3,170 general contributors; $3,035 auditors. Includes tuition, room and board. 
Apply: March 1 deadline; $15 fee

Highlights: Workshops in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are at the core of the conference. Each faculty member conducts a workshop that meets for five two-hour sessions over the course of the 10 days. Groups are kept small to facilitate discussion, and all participants meet individually with their faculty leaders to elaborate on workshop comments. Faculty members also offer lectures on issues around literary writing and one-hour classes on specific aspects of the craft. See list of faculty & guests here.