Over the past two years, some writing conferences moved online to virtual presentations, while others cancelled altogether. But recently, thousands of writers gathered for a very popular writing conference: The 2022 AWP Writer’s Conference in Philadelphia, PA. As the largest literary conference in North America, AWP’s return to in-person events signals a turning tide. While some events will continue to take place online, many are returning to public venues. The researchers at Writer’s Relief have been tracking these gatherings and have put together a list of conferences and writing-related events that will be open to attendees as of this article’s publication date. Just be sure to review and comply with each event’s health and safety guidelines if you plan to attend.
One benefit of programs and festivals moving temporarily to virtual venues is that now, even though they’re shifting back to in-person events, many will still offer virtual events too! So even if you’re unable to attend the actual writing conference, check out the website anyway—there may be virtual options offered as well!
39 Writing Conferences And Events That Are Back In-Person For 2022
May 1-2: American Society of Journalists & Authors Writers Conference (Jersey City, NJ)
May 7-8: Bay Area Book Festival (Berkeley, CA)
May 14-21: Longleaf Writers Conference (Seaside, FL)
May 20-21: Idaho Writers Conference (Boise, ID)
June 2-5: Indiana University Writers’ Conference (Bloomington, IN)
June 16-19: Nantucket Book Festival (Nantucket, MA)
June 19-24: Summer Words Writers Conference (Aspen, CO)
June 22-25: Chautauqua Writers’ Festival (Chautauqua, NY)
June 23-25: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson Hole, WY)
June 24-26: Bookstock Literary Festival (Woodstock, VT)
July 8-10: Writing in Place Conference (Spartanburg, SC)
July 16-18: Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (Sun Valley, ID)
July 21-24: 2022 San Francisco Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA)
July 31-August 4: Catamaran Writing Conference (Pebble Beach, CA)
August 5-7: 2022 Willamette Writers Conference (Portland, OR)
August 18-21: Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference (Franklin, TN)
September 8-10: Carolina Mountains Literary Festival (Burnsville, NC)
September 10-11: New York City Poetry Festival (New York, NY)
September 15-18: Montana Book Festival (Missoula, MT)
September 16-18: Southern California Writers’ Conference (Irvine, CA)
September 24: Kansas Book Festival (Topeka, KS)
September 25-October 3: Brooklyn Book Festival (Brooklyn, NY)
September 30-October 2: The Loft Wordsmith Writing Conference (Minneapolis, MN)
September 30-October 2: Flathead River Writers Conference (Kalispell, MT)
October 2: AJC Decatur Book Festival (Decatur, GA)
October 7-8: Morristown Festival of Books (Morristown, NJ)
October 14-16: Southern Festival of Books (Nashville, TN)
October 15: Rocky Mountain Literary Festival (Evergreen, CO)
October 18-24: Iowa City Book Festival (Iowa City, IA)
October 20-22: National Black Book Festival (Houston, TX)
October 20-23: Dodge Poetry Festival (Newark, NJ)
October 20-30: 2022 Six Bridges Book Festival (Little Rock, AR)
October 28-30: Florida Writers Conference (Altamonte Springs, FL)
October 29: Kentucky Book Festival (Lexington, KY)
November 3-4: Great Lakes Writers Festival (Sheboygan, WI)
November 4-6: La Jolla Writer’s Conference (La Jolla, CA)
November 5: Portland Book Festival (Portland, OR)
November 5-6: Texas Book Festival (Austin, TX)
December 2-4: Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop (Monterey, CA)
You can also take a look at our free weekly newsletter, Submit Write Now!, for the latest listings of upcoming writers conferences, festivals, workshops, and even residencies—along with great writing tips and publishing advice. See you there!
Question: Which upcoming conference or event are you most excited about?
I’ll add that Lit Youngstown’s Fall Literary Festival will be held, in person, in Youngstown, Ohio, from October 20-22, 2022. It’s a great one!
We have all been there: that feeling of utter frustration when the words that should come easily to us don’t. Whether it’s a difficult math problem or a tricky story to write, we all face moments when our skills fall short. But, what if there was a way to bypass these stumbling blocks? What if we could simply “try again” and know that our efforts would be rewarded?
I have no chance of having writer’s block. If I stumble at any point in a novel, I walk away to think about that solution, or go to a different chapter and start over until my subconscious fixes the problem. It might be a strange thing to say, but I don’t sit down and hold my head, I write myself past writer’s block by inserting a new chapter or deleting it.