From June 21–27, the Chesapeake Writers’ Conference gathers writers on the St. Mary’s River at St. Mary's College of Maryland for a dynamic week of intensive workshops, craft talks, and readings. We invite writers of all levels—including high school students in our dedicated Youth Workshop—to join us for our thirteenth season of craft, artistic connection, and shared discovery.
Led by a distinguished faculty and complemented by resonant guest speakers, the conference fosters a community dedicated to the practice of creative inquiry. Each year, we also feature publishing professionals who provide insight into the world of literary citizenship.
Recent workshop faculty include Karen Leona Anderson, Liz Arnold, Matt Burgess, Jerry Gabriel, Heather Green, Patricia Henley, Tremaine Johnson, Phillis Levin, Angela Pelster, Eva Freeman, Robin McCullough, Melissa Scholes-Young, and Nadeem Zaman, among others.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no application fee. Registration is first-come, first-served until we reach capacity.
Visit our Registration & Fees page for more information.
We hope you’ll join us for words, water, and woods this summer.
Write on the river,
Crystal Oliver
Director, Chesapeake Writers’ Conference
Accessibility accommodations include elevators in all multilevel event spaces; accessible sidewalks, pathways, doorways, and parking; and ADA-compliant event spaces and restrooms. Contact the St. Mary’s College Office of Accessibility Services at (240) 895-2250, (240) 895-4327 for TTY service, or adasupport@smcm.edu for additional accessibility details.