WELCOME, WRITERS.
The twelfth annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference will be held from June 22 to June 28, 2025, on the St. Mary’s College campus in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. The conference features lectures, craft talks, readings, panel discussions, and daily workshops in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting for fiction writers. We also feature a fantastic Youth Workshop for high school-age writers, with two options for Youth Workshop participation (full or workshop-only).
The 2025 faculty, additional speakers, and Writer-in-Residence are to be announced.
There is no application fee, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. That said, part of our charm is that Chesapeake is intimate and special, and we plan to keep it that way! Spaces are limited; once a workshop is full, it's full, so apply and register as soon as possible to reserve your spot.
Our website (linked here) and social media accounts (linked below) will be updated soon; check there for details.
If you’d like to sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest news, updates, and special offers related to the Conference, please email us at chesapeakewritersconference@smcm.edu.
We hope you’ll join us in 2025 for words, water, woods, and so much more.
Write on the river,
Crystal Oliver
Director, Chesapeake Writers’ Conference
This application is for:
- Adult applicants interested in workshops in four genres (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting for fiction writers). These daily workshops allow serious writers of all experience levels to immerse themselves in the genre of their choice to deepen their writing practice and amplify their creative output.
- High-school-age applicants interested in the Youth Workshop. The daily Youth Workshop allows high school-age students to work closely with our award-winning faculty and practice various genres and styles, from prose poems to TV scripts, as they explore their potential and strengthen their writing skills.
Check the appropriate box below to indicate which workshop you are applying to.
Overview
The 12th Annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference (June 22-28, 2025) invites writers at all experience levels interested in creative writing, literary citizenship, and professional writing to apply for the 2025 conference.
Additionally, we offer:
- Undergraduate course credit for college and non-degree-seeking students, e.g., SMCM students and college students from other colleges and universities (ENGL395: Topics in Writing, for two credit hours of college credit from St. Mary's College of Maryland).
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit for teachers (EDUC 790: Teachers' Seminar, for two CPD-eligible graduate credit hours from St. Mary's College of Maryland).
- A panel of publishing professionals, including one-on-one meetings.
- A full, week-long schedule of events related to professional writing and literary citizenship, i.e., readings, talks, and lectures.
- Opportunities to network and socialize with other writers.
Application Details
Adult Applicants:
- You may apply to multiple workshop genres (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting for fiction writers). Ultimately, even if accepted in multiple genres, you must choose a genre workshop (because the workshops meet simultaneously).
High-school-age Applicants:
- Check only the box for Youth Workshop below (you do not need to choose a genre). If you would like to earn college course credit as a non--degree-seeking student, check the box under Course Credit for for "College Course Credit | ENGL 395 - Special Topics in Writing. Note that the Course Credit option requires a separate registration process. Contact the Director for more information.
All applicants:
- For poetry submissions, upload 4-6 poems (in one file/document, please).
- For prose (so, anything but poetry), include no more than 15 pages (double-spaced) of a story, essay, or novel. Please include a short synopsis if your manuscript is excerpted from a longer project. Including more than one piece (complete or excerpts) is fine. Again, please upload just one file/document per genre.
- Please do not include your name anywhere on your writing sample.
College Students Seeking Course Credit:
- Please check the box below for "College Course Credit | ENGL 395 - Special Topics in Writing" if you plan to register for and pursue course credit. You must pay for course credit when you register for the conference at Eventbrite to be enrolled in College Credit.
Teachers Seeking CPD Credit:
- Please check the box below for the "Teacher CPD Credit | EDUC 790 - Teachers' Seminar" if you plan to register for and pursue course credit via the MSDE-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course. You must pay for course credit when registering at Eventbrite to enroll in Teacher's Seminar.