2025 Writing Conferences and Festivals
February 11, 2025 | blog, news
Attending a writing conference or festival can allow time to focus on your creative output and gain inspiration and insight while engaging with fellow writers. In addition to generative workshops, most conferences offer sessions with experienced representatives of the business side of publishing, including agents and editors.
We hope this list of writing conferences and festivals will help you invest in yourself, expand your creative community, and take your writing to the next level in 2025.
Dates: June 23–28, 2025
Location: Snowmass Village, Colorado
Fee: $1,825 (Juried Workshops or Generative Writing); $1,095 (Publishing & Branding); $585 (Readers Retreat)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Screenwriting
Overview:
Workshops and consultations with faculty
Manuscripts: 15 pages max for workshops; 10 pages for consultations
Screenwriting: Up to 35 pages + synopsis
Bear River Writers’ Conference | U-M LSA
Dates: August 28–September 1, 2025
Location: Walloon Lake, Michigan
Fees: $475–$1,325 (depending on lodging preferences)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Overview:
Generative workshops, readings, and manuscript consultations
Faculty to be announced
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
Dates: August 13–23, 2025
Location: Ripton, Vermont
Application Deadline: February 1 Fee: $4,105 (includes tuition and room/board; $20 application fee, waivers available)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Guidelines:
Prose: Up to 6,000 words
Poetry: Up to 10 pages (one poem per page preferred)
Overview:
5 two-hour session workshops
Individual meetings with faculty
Daily readings by faculty, participants, and guests
Meetings with visiting editors, agents, and publishers
Select Faculty:
Nonfiction: Jenny Boully, Paul Lisicky
Poetry: Catherine Barnett, Rick Barot
Fiction: Marie-Helene Bertino, Jamel Brinkley
Dates: June 16–July 28, 2025
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Fees: $875 (weeklong workshops); $425 (weekend workshops)
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Screenwriting
Overview:
Weeklong and weekend workshops across two months
Discount available for combining workshops
Select Faculty:
Patricia Foster, Diana Goetsch, Robin Hemley
Madeline McDonnell, Vi Khi Nao
2025 Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference
Dates: August 21–24, 2025
Location: Embassy Suites Hotel & Convention Center, Franklin, Tennessee
Tuition: Four-day registration from $449; Single-day $234
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction
Overview:
More than 140 panels and workshops, and smaller breakout sessions
Agent/editor roundtable pitch sessions
Film screenings and events focused on crime-related topics such as law enforcement, CIA intrigue, government agencies, romantic suspense, and accurate firearm descriptions
Guests of Honor:
Kemper Donoavan, Sara Paretsky, and Caitlin Rother
Past Authors:
Diane Fanning, Gloria Casale, Marni Graff, Clay Stafford, Isabelle Kanning, Ellen Kirschman, and Adeline Stafford
Dates: June 6-13, 2025
Location: 3844 York Street, Denver, Colorado
Applications Deadline: March 8, 2025
Tuition Weeklong Advanced Workshops: $1,350 ($1,520 for non-members)
Tuition Weekend Advanced Workshops: $910 ($1080 for non-members)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Overview:
Weeklong and weekend advanced workshops
Craft seminars
Readings, salons
Business panels, agent meetings
Visiting Authors:
Steve Almond, Mat Johnson, Katie Kitamura, Elizabeth McCracken, Helen Phillips, Douglas Stuart, and Tony Tulathimutte (fiction)
Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Nicole Chung, Claire Dederer, Alex Marzano-Lesnevitch, and Eileen Myles (nonfiction)
Eduardo Corral, Solmaz Sharif, and Matthew Zapruder (poetry)
Dates: May 10-17, 2025
Location: Seaside, Florida
Registration Deadline: February 15, 2025 (Financial Aid Open until January 15, 2025)
Tuition: $399-$1,399 ($59 Seminar A La Carte option)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Screenwriting
*No application required unless applying for a fellowship or financial aid
Overview:
Previously known as the Seaside Writers Conference, the Longleaf Writers Conference marks its fifth year of weeklong intensive writing workshops and seminars.
Features two major visiting writers, four agents, six workshop faculty, and twenty or more fellows and scholars plus dozens of attendees.
Small group generative writing workshops and daily seminars
Agent consultations and readings
Longleaf fellows and scholars also take part in an educational outreach to a local underserved school
Visiting Writers:
Andre Dubus III and Khadijah Queen
Faculty:
Matt Bondurant, Charlotte Pence, Sheila Sundar, Mark Sundeen, Seth Brady Tucker, Brian Turner, and LaToya Watkins
Martha’s Vineyard 2025 Summer Writers’ Conference
Dates: June 8-June 3, 2025 and June 15-June 20, 2025
Location: Martha’s Vineyard’s Institute of Creative Writing
Fee: $2000 for the week (without lodging -attendees can stay on campus at the Vineyards Art Project in Edgartown or stay at one of the local hotels or guest houses)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Overview:
Weeklong generative workshops
Evening readings and panel discussions
Individualized manuscript sessions with feedback and advice on how to seek publication
Visiting Authors and Poets:
Hanna Bae, Donald Quist, Alexander Weinstein, Sequoia Nagamatsu, Vogue M. Robinson, Mary Austin Speaker, Christopher Citro, Chris Martin, and Kristina Marie Darling
Key Speakers:
Natalie Richards, Brent Maguire
Pennwriters Conference
Dates: May 16–18, 2025
Location: Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Overview:
A welcoming community for writers of all levels
Workshops and keynotes on craft and publishing
Speakers:
Natalie Richards, Brent Maguire
San Francisco Writers Conference
Dates: February 6-9, 2025
Location: Hyatt Regency San Francisco
Conference Rates: $700-$895 ($400 special rate for student and teachers)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Screenwriting
Overview:
Twenty-first year includes100 presenters, more than 25 literary agents and acquiring editors
80-plus classes, sessions, and lectures related to fiction, nonfiction, memoir, business, tech, children’s and young adult fiction, poetry, marketing and business
Eight-minute consult with editors, promotional experts, and book coaches
Three-hour Master Classes available at extra cost
Featured Speakers:
Nina Amir, Mahnaz Badihian, Amy L. Bernstein, Sheryl Bize-Boutte, Cara Black, Sue Campbell, Michael Carr, Eirinie Carson, T. A. (Tina ) Chan, Douglas Cole, Ying Chang Compestine, Lisa Cooper Ellison, Vicki De Armon, Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs, Karly Dizon, Kevin Dublin, Peter Dudley, Tayna Egan Gibson, Tongo Eisen-Martin, and Jodi Fodor
Dates: July 16–28, 2025
Location: Sewanee, Tennessee
Application Deadline: March 15
Fee: Varies by role ($2,000 for contributors; reduced rates for scholars and fellows)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Playwriting
Overview:
Workshops
Individual meetings with faculty
Readings, craft lectures, and special topics classes
Select Faculty:
Fiction: Katie Kitamura, Jill McCorkle
Poetry: Marianne Chan, Felicia Zamora
Nonfiction: Jaquira Diaz, Aisha Sabatini Sloan
Playwriting: Brittany K. Allen, Liliana Padilla
Dates: June 6-10, 2025
Location: Epworth by the Sea, St. Simons Island, Georgia
Application Deadline: Register
2025 Conference Rate: TBA
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
Overview:
Fiftieth year of the Southeastern Writers Association hosting a three-day conference for aspiring and established writers
Workshops on writing, publishing, and marketing
Select Faculty:
Lori Duff, John B. Edwards, Mary Jane Ryals, Donald Vaughan
Dates: July 25–27, 2025
Location: Taos, New Mexico
Fee: $499 (3 days); $335 (weekend workshops only)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Hybrid Genres
Overview:
Workshops, faculty readings, keynote events, and roundtable discussions
Community storytelling and young writers’ programs
Select Faculty:
Nick Flynn, Allegra Huston, Sawnie Morris
Dates: July 13-20, 2025
Location: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Application Deadline: February 2, 2025
Tuition: $1,800 (Room/Board: $700, Scholarships available)
Application Fee: $30
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Graphic Novels
Submission Guidelines:
Fiction/Nonfiction application includes writing sample of 4,000 words or less
Poetry application includes four poems, no more than ten pages
Overview:
Weeklong curated workshops with limited participants (eight per class)
One-on-one meetings with faculty and agents
Craft lectures, author conversations, generative exercises, affinity group meetings, and student/faculty readings
Select Faculty:
Danez Smith, Deesha Philyaw, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Edgar Gomez, Franny Choi, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Isle McElroy, Jake Skeets, Jeannie Vanasco, Julián Delgado Lopera, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, KB Brookins, Kim Fu, Kristen Arnett, Lucy Corin, Noor Hindi, Olufunke Grace Bankole, Omar El Akkad, Sidik Fofana, and Zara Chowdhary
The 2025 Washington Writers Conference
Dates: May 2-3, 2025
Location: Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, Maryland
Conference Rate: $409 Jan. 1-Feb. 28, 2025; $429 March 1-Apr. 30, 2025 (includes three agent-pitch sessions)
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Young Adult, Poetry
Overview:
Three one-on-one pitch sessions with agents
Access to publishing professionals at panels
Workshops on pitching, writing, and publishing
Featured Authors 2024:
Tara Campbell, Melanie S. Hatter, and Alice Stephens; debut authors Tania James, Marita Golden, Louis Bayard, and Richard Peabody
Moderator Melissa Scholes Young
Hanna Bae, Donald Quist, Alexander Weinstein, Sequoia Nagamatsu, Vogue M. Robinson, Mary Austin Speaker, Christopher Citro, Chris Martin, and Kristina Marie Darling