Save the Date: Writing/Book Conferences Worth Attending

Cheryl Strayed at AWP 2013.

Conference: Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP)
Dates: February 26-March 1, 2014
Registration Deadline: N/A
Location/Venue: Seattle / Washington State Convention Center & Sheraton Seattle Hotel
Pricing: $65 to $875
Why you should consider attending: The conference is tailored to writers and the writing process, including multiple opportunities to learn from and engage with esteemed and bestselling scribes. This year Chris Abani, Annie Proulx and Amy Tan are among the featured presenters.

Conference: The Festival of Faith & Writing
Dates: April 10-12, 2014
Pre-registration Deadline: January 31, 2014
Pricing: $185 if you register before January 31st; $200 thereafter. $85 for students.
Location/Venue: Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI
Why you should consider attending: Faith. Religion. Spirituality. Whatever you call it it, you likely have questions. The annual festival creates a space for writers, readers and anyone else who’s interested in exploring how spiritual understanding relates to literature.

Conference: BookExpo America (BEA)
Dates: May 29-31, 2014
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2014
Location/Venue: New York, NY / The Jacob Javits Center
Pricing: $189 to $349 depending on the badge you qualify for; $89-599 for attendance at one of the concurrent conferences.  (4-Day Attendee Show Badge allows you access to Free BEA Conference Sessions throughout the event; 1-Day Attendee Show Badge allows you access to Free BEA Conference Sessions only on the day of your Pass.)
Why you should consider attending: Excellent networking opportunity. Publishers, booksellers, librarians, agents, and authors converge, plus you’ll get to see which books and authors publishers are putting their muscle behind.

Conference: American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition
Dates: June 26-July 1, 2014
Pre-registration Deadline: N/A
Location/Venue: Las Vegas
Pricing: TBD
Why you should consider attending: Get your book on the radar of librarians across the country.

Homeric Writers Retreat and Workshop
Dates: August 1-7, 2014
Registration Deadline: July 1, 2014
Location/Venue: The island of Ithaca in Greece
Pricing: 1,550 Euros
Why you should consider attending: It’s Greece! Also, literary agent Katharine Sands of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency will be in attendance and giving a talk. 

This is an organic list that I’ll add to as I learn about more conferences. If you know of any, by all means submit it in the comments following the format above. Thanks!