Writing workshops and conferences always pick up in the summer. This June features more than three dozen conferences and workshops for writers, mostly held online. Virtual events still offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions - there is something for everyone.
For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see
Writing Conferences. During the pandemic most of these are being held virtually at reduced rates. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.
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Clarksville Writers Conference. June 3 - 4, 2021: Clarksville, TN. Two days of writing workshops and presentations, a keynote banquet with the authors, and manuscript consultations.
Indiana University Writers’ Conference. June 3 - 6, 2021, Indiana University in Bloomington. The conference features workshops in poetry and fiction, as well as craft classes, readings, and panels for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. The cost of the conference is $385, or $635 with a workshop. Lodging and meals are not included; lodging is available in campus dormitories and in the campus hotel. The registration fee is $30; general registration is first come, first served. To attend a workshop, submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry or 15 to 25 pages of prose; admissions are made on a rolling basis.
Will be held online.
Nebula Conference. June 4 - 6, 2021, Los Angeles, CA. SFWA members and other individuals who are interested in the field of science fiction and fantasy are welcome to attend SFWA’s Nebula Conference. Attendees may participate in workshops, programming and special events throughout the weekend. You do not need to be a member of SFWA to attend.
Will be held online.
Colrain Classic. June 4 - 7, 2021. Arlington, Vermont. "The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3.5 day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session."
Will be conducted online.
Unshore Thing Writing Getaway: A One Day Retreat for Poets and Writers. June 5, 2021: Atlantic City, NJ. "Join us for this boardwalk-inspired getaway, designed for writers of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Trigger your imagination and compose new work that will surprise and please you. Spend the day immersed in the literary life: discussing writing, doing your own writing and sharing some of your new drafts." Faculty: Peter E. Murphy.
Will be conducted online.
Wyoming Writers Conference. June 5 - 6, 2021: Laramie, WY. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and self-publishing, as well as agent and editor pitch sessions, roundtable critiques, and open mics. Participating writers have included poet Jovan Mays, fiction writers Tasha Alexander and Andrew Grant, and nonfiction writer Page Lambert. Participating publishing professionals include editor Eric Campbell (Down & Out Books) and agents Stephanie Hansen (Metamorphosis Literary Agency) and Angie Hodapp (Nelson Literary Agency). Fiction writer Brad Watson will deliver the keynote. The cost of the conference is $235 until May 1 and $275 thereafter, and includes a one-year membership to Wyoming Writers, Inc. Lodging is available at the conference hotel for a discounted rate of $104 per night.
Will be conducted online and in person.Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Summer Seminar. June 6 - 12 and 13 - 19, 2021, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Workshops in poetry and fiction, one-on-one manuscript consultations, panel discussions, and readings. Offers fellowships.
Bread Loaf Translators' Conference. June 6 - 12, 2021: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference includes workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as lectures, craft classes, meetings with editors and agents, and readings by faculty and guests.
Application deadline: March 19, 2021.
Bread Loaf Environmental Writers' Conference. June 6 - 12, 2021: Ripton, VT. The Bread Loaf Orion Environmental Writers' Conference is a week-long writers’ conference designed to hone the skills of people interested in producing literary writing about the environment and the natural world. The conference is co-sponsored by the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Orion magazine, and Middlebury College’s Environmental Studies Program.
Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. June 6 - 13, 2021. "The 2021 MVICW Virtual Summer Writers’ Conference offers over 30 live seminars in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, panel discussions, late-night open mics, and courses on publishing & editing. Our program encourages cross-genre exploration and attendees have the option of taking seminars in all genres. All seminars are recorded and accessible to attendees for 6 months after the conference."
Odyssey Writing Workshop. June 7 - July 16, 2021. Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.
Will be held online.
Fine Arts Work Center Summer Workshops (poetry, fiction, art, and creative nonfiction). June 7 - August 27, 2021: Provincetown, Massachusetts. Last year's faculty included David Baker, Samiya Bashir, Jill Bialosky, Sophie Cabot Black, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Martha Collins, Kate Daniels, Nick Flynn, Vievee Francis, Gabriel Fried, Jorie Graham, Marie Howe, Major Jackson, Fred Marchant, Gail Mazur, Jane Mead, John Murillo, Eileen Myles, Matthew Olzmann, Gregory Pardlo, Carl Phillips, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Victoria Redel, Martha Rhodes, Brenda Shaughnessy, Nicole Sealey, Alan Shapiro, Carmen Giménez Smith, Craig Morgan Teicher and many more. See individual workshops for dates.
The Writer's Hotel Virtual Poetry Conference. June 10-14, 2021.
Application deadline: May 16. TWH 2021 Poetry Faculty: Jorie Graham, Ellen Bass, Peter Balakian, Diane Ackerman, Marge Piercy, Kim Addonizio, Tim Seibles, Ada Limón, Jenny Xie, Camille T. Dungy, Sherwin Bitsui, Major Jackson, Alberto Ríos, Thomas Lynch, Samiya Bashir, Alexandra Oliver, Kevin Larimer and TWH Directors Shanna McNair and Scott Wolven.
Florida Writing Workshop. June 12, 2021. "This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on June 12, 2021. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Florida” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually."
California Crime Writers Conference. June 12 - 13, 2021: Culver City, California. Faculty: William Kent Krueger: Keynote Speaker. Hallie Ephron: Keynote Speaker. "Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and SoCal Mystery Writers of America invite emerging and established mystery writers for a weekend of invaluable guidance, insight, and community at the 2017 California Crime Writers Conference. Whether your novel is brewing in your imagination, ready to publish, or you already have several published books under your belt, our workshops, presented by agents, editors, award-winning authors, and crime investigation professionals, are geared to elevate your mystery writing skills and foster relationships on your path to publication and beyond."
DFW Writers Conference. June 12 - 13, 2021: Fort Worth TX. Featuring pitch sessions with literary agents, advanced classes, engaging panels, interactive workshops.
Annual Philadelphia Writers' Conference. June 12 - 13, 2021: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Features workshops, contests and awards, critique and feedback sessions, and agent and editor speed dates. Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Horror, Journalism, Marketing, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Screenwriting, Young Adult.
Tinker Mountain Writers’ Workshop. June 13 - 17, 2021: Roanoke, Virginia. The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as craft seminars, individual conferences with faculty members, and readings.
Will be held online.
Yale Writers' Conference. June 13 - 26, 2021: New Haven, CT. Visiting Faculty: Amy Bloom, Michael Cunningham, Lev Grossman, Claudia Rankine, Edmund White, MG Lord, Sarah Darer Littman Resident Faculty: Kirsten Bakis, Je Banach, Sybil Baker, Marc Fitten, Trey Ellis, and more. Director: Terence Hawkins.
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Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. June 14 - 18, 2021: Sandy, Utah. Offers one-, two-, three- and five-day workshops. Morning workshops devoted to individual work; afternoon talks on market, craft, publication; chats w/ editors and agents; keynote; book signing. For those interested, specialized workshops--Boot Camp and Full-Novel classes. Single day programs as well.
Will be held online and in person.
Algonkian Writer Conference–New York City Pitch. June 17 - 20, 2021: Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. The New York Pitch Conference and writers workshop is held four times a year and features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals.
Will be held online.
Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference. June 17 - 27, 2021: Forest Grove, Oregon. Writers seeking to deepen their craft and expand their professional community are invited to attend the Residency Writers Conference together with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Join us for 10 full days of craft talks, workshops, panels, classes, readings and more featuring some of the best minds of the literary world. This residency is a rare opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful conversation with others who share your passion for the art of writing.
Will be virtual.
Community of Writers at Squaw Valley: Poetry Workshop. June 19 - June 26, 2021: Olympic Valley, California. "We work together to create an atmosphere in which everyone might feel free to try anything. In the mornings we meet in workshops to read to each other the work of the previous twenty-four hours; each participant also has an opportunity to work with each staff poet. In the late afternoons we gather for a conversation about some aspect of craft. On several afternoons staff poets hold brief individual conferences."
Registration deadline: April 1, 2021.
Will be held online.Kenyon Review Writers Workshops. June 20 - 26 and July 11 - 17, 2021: Gambier, Ohio. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction led by an accomplished faculty. Genre workshops (Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, and Poetry) are held for three hours each morning. (See individual workshops for dates.)
Colgate Writers’ Conference. June 20 - 26, 2021: Hamilton, New York. Morning craft talks & workshops. Individual consultation with workshop instructor in the afternoon. Late afternoon participant readings and talks on publishing, storytelling. Evening readings by instructors & guests. Late night social events. "Bring a story, a book in progress, some poems, or a novel, and work with us on developing narrative strategies, verse techniques, and methods of research. Members of the publishing profession will also be here to discuss marketplace tactics.
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Chesapeake Writers' Conference at St. Mary's College of Maryland. June 20 - 26, 2021: St. Mary's City, Maryland. "Join us on Maryland’s Western Shore-for the 8th Annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference for a week of craft talks, lectures, panel discussions, and readings, as well as daily workshops in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, translation, songwriting, or creative nonfiction.
Clarion West Speculative Fiction Writers Workshop. June 20 - July 31, 2021: Seattle, Washington. "Every summer, Clarion West holds an intensive six-week workshop in Seattle’s University District, geared to help you prepare for a professional career as a writer of speculative fiction. Each workshop is limited to 18 students, and each week features a different instructor, a highly regarded author or editor offering their unique perspective on the field. Short fiction is the workshop’s focus, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Come prepared to write several new stories, to experiment and take artistic risks, and to give and receive constructive criticism.
Will be held online.
Manhattanville College Summer Writers' Week. June 21 - 25, 2021: Purchase, New York. Each day begins with a workshop, then afternoons feature craft panels and events. Evenings feature faculty readings and a keynote reader, and these evening readings are free and open to the public. For an immersive experience, housing is available on campus for workshop participants.
Will be held online.
Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference. June 21 - 26, 2021: Bemidji, Minnesota. Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing. Faculty: The faculty includes Jennifer Elise Foerster (Poetry), John Murillo (Poetry), Faith Adiele (Creative Nonfiction), J. Drew Lanham (Creative Nonfiction), Danielle Evans (Fiction). and the Distinguished Visiting Writer is the National Book Award-winning poet Nikky Finney.
Will be held online.
Chuckanut Writers Conference. June 21 - 27, 2021: Bellingham, Washington. Writers conference that includes speakers, panels, breakout sessions, authors' readings, reception with authors, pitch sessions with literary agents, book signings, open mic for attendees. Autobiography/Memoir, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing.
Chautauqua Writers’ Festival. June 23 - 26, 2021: Chautauqua, New York. In addition to the Festival’s tradition of intensive workshops and one-on-one conferences with award-winning contemporary authors, attendees can also attend panel conversations, breakout sessions, and a keynote address. The 2021 theme is "Personal Geographies," and these various conversations will draw fruitful and urgent connections between the personal, the political, and the craft of writing. All of these features are included in the cost of Standard Registration and available as an option to any workshop participant.
Wesleyan Writers Conference. June 23 - 27, 2021: Middletown, CT. The conference offers workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as master classes, craft sessions, panel discussions, readings, lectures, and manuscript consultations with agents and editors. The program includes a choice of daily seminars focused on the novel, short story, poetry, and nonfiction (memoir, short- and long-form nonfiction, and journalism).
Jackson Hole Writers Conference, June 23 - 27, 2021: Jackson Hole, WY. You will have ample opportunity to share your work with a distinguished faculty as well as writers from Massachusetts to Florida, from Texas to Washington. Serious writers pour into Jackson Hole each June looking for a fresh, but critical eye on their work. This event usually has at least 4 agents to pitch. Will host online programs.
Historical Novel Society North American Conference. June 24 - 26, 2021: San Antonio, TX. Registration $475 (members), $550 (nonmembers) includes welcome reception, two breakfasts and lunches, and Saturday evening banquet.
Writers' Weekend. June 24 - 26, 2021. "The Virtual Writers’ Weekend is for writers working at all levels and in every genre who want to improve their writing, get their manuscript published, and network with agents, published authors, and other writers. Due to the success of the 2020 virtual event, we’ve decided to hold the 2021 Writers’ Weekend as a virtual event again. We are based in the lovely and historic city of Winchester, England, but due to the virtual nature of our event, you can attend from anywhere in the world!" Keynote speakers: Diana Gabaldon and Chris Riddell, plus novelists Robert Fabbri, Kate Mosse, Lissa Evans, Tracey Corderoy, MG Leonard, Derek Miller, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Helen Fields and Ness Wood, as well as literary agents who will give talks on the craft of writing and how to get published.
The David R. Collins Virtual Writers’ Conference. June 24 - 26, 2021. "Each workshop meets for 90 minutes each day, 4.5 hours over three days. We will be offering five workshops in 2020, including: poetry (led by Gale Marie Thompson); personal essay/memoir (led by Lyz Lenz); short fiction (led by Joe Meno); and the novel (led by TBA). We also have a faculty reading and an open mic for participants; pitch sessions for writers to present manuscripts to our own MWC Press; one-on-one manuscript critiques with Conference faculty; luncheons; and a keynote event on June 24, featuring Allison Joseph, who will also lead a master class on Friday, June 25."
So You Want to be an Author/Illustrator? Online Course 2021. June 24, 2021 - August 12, 2021. Explore the possibilities of moving from Illustrator to Author/Illustrator, or becoming an Author/Illustrator. Learn how to find ideas and move from sketch to story ideas. Explore narrative drawing, pagination, thumbnail sketches and dummy (mock-up) creation.
Will be held online.
Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. June 24 - 25, 2021: Cumberland Gap, TN. "Every year writers gather at the ancient and beloved Cumberland Gap to celebrate writing, music, and Appalachian heritage. Events include workshops, panels, readings, concerts, lectures, open mic, and more." Will be held online.
New York State Summer Writers Institute at Skidmore College. June 27 - July 23, 2021: Saratoga Springs, NY. Since 1987, the Institute has been offering students the opportunity to learn from an extraordinary faculty of distinguished writers led by director Robert Boyers. The program is an offshoot of the New York State Writers Institute created by Albany native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy. The curriculum is designed for college-aged students and adults, and the new virtual format will retain many of the Institute’s hallmark features:
- Creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and non-fiction
- Small classes that offer individualized attention and workshop student writings
- Public readings and afternoon Q & A sessions with world-renowned guest writers
- Private tutorial sessions for student fiction manuscripts, book-length poetry, or non-fiction (available for an additional fee)
- Option to enroll for one-week, two-week, or four-week sessions
- Optional undergraduate credit for eligible students enrolled in one genre for four weeks
- Merit Scholarships for tuition
ThrillerFest XIV. June 28 – July 10, 2021:New York City. This is the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers. The ThrillerFest conference has four main components: Master CraftFest, CraftFest, PitchFest, and ThrillerFest. Master CraftFest was designed as an educational tool for aspiring writers as well as debut and midlist authors to gain advanced training from the masters of the craft in an intimate, day-long training session. CraftFest was designed for all writers to learn from bestselling authors and subject experts who kindly offer their advice and assistance to advance attendees’ writing techniques and further their careers. PitchFest was designed to match writers with agents, editors, publishers, and producers. ThrillerFest, the final two days of the conference, is intended to offer readers a chance to meet the best authors in the industry and be introduced to debut and midlist authors. Expect innovative panels, spotlight interviews, and workshops to educate and inspire.
Will be held online.
