Conferences and Events
Tucson Festival of Books
Tucson, Arizona
March 9-10, 2013
The Tucson Festival of Books is a two-day literary event that attracts more than 100,000 booklovers and gathers more than 275 book exhibitors. The festival is also proud to offer a food fare, including various local restaurants and vendors.
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
New Orleans, Louisiana
March 20-24, 2013
The Tenessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival was founded by a group of locals who had the drive to celebrate the region’s rich cultural heritage. A tradition that began in 1987, it started with an ambitious plan to attract 500 people. On its 25th anniversary last 2011, the attendees ballooned to 10,000.
Virginia Festival of the Book
Charlottesville, Virginia
March 24, 2013
The Virginia Festival of the Book is a five-day event that is open to the public. Most of its literary events are for free as it aims to promote reading and literacy. This year, its roster of speakers includes historian Douglas Brinkley, author Betty Shotton, and best-selling author C.J. Box.
Annapolis Book Festival
Annapolis, Maryland
April 13, 2013
The Annapolis Book Festival is now on its eleventh year and has since become one of the premier community events in the region. It brings nationally renowned authors to the key school to talk about their books and the craft of writing.
Alabama Book Festival
Montgomery, Alabama
April 20, 2013
Alabama Book Festival will be celebrating the Year of Alabama Food this 2013. Registration is already open to anyone who wants to be a book exhibitor. This year’s list includes Alabama Humanities Foundation, Alabama Writer’s Forum, and Montgomery City-County Public Library.
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Los Angeles, California
April 20-21, 2013
This year’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held at the University of Southern California. Admission is still for free, but parking at the USC campus will cost $10. Last year, the authors and performers included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
Oregon, Massachusetts, California
Year-round, Schedule depends on Location
This conference is a series of workshops that gives professional critiques and analyses on book-length or chapbook-length poetry manuscripts. Attendees can expect small group sessions with press editors, publishers, and outstanding faculty.
Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference 2013
Homer, Alaska
June 14 – 18
This nationally recognized writing conference will feature workshops, readings, panel presentations in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and the business of writing. This year’s keynote speaker, Naomi Shihab Nye, is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes. She has received a Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets.
VONA Voices Writing Workshops
June 23-29
University of California, Berkeley
There have been over a thousand writers who have attended this workshop, and many succeeded in publishing their works, entering masters programs, developing a writing practice, and even putting up their own publishing companies. It is one of the first workshops for writers-of-color.
Tin House Summer Writers Workshop
Reed College, Portland, Oregon
July 14 to July 21
The 11th annual Tin House Summer Writers Workshop feature workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Interested authors can submit 10 pages of poetry or 20 ages of prose with the required tuition and application fees.
Southampton Writers Conference
Stony Brook Southampton, NY
July 10-14 and July 17-28
This is an opportunity for dedicated writers to be immersed in the craft while in the company of other serious writers. The workshop will be taking place overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Hamptons. The writing workshops run alongside workshops in theatee, filmmaking, and visual arts.
Nora Roberts Writing Institute
Hagerstown Community College
August 2-3, 2013
Here’s a chance for aspiring writers to learn more about the craft and techniques of fiction writing. Sponsored by the Hagerstown Community College, it is named after local resident and best-selling author Nora Roberts.