WELCOME, WRITERS.
The eleventh annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference will be held from June 16 to June 22, 2024, on the St. Mary’s College campus in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. The conference features lectures, craft talks, readings, panel discussions, daily poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction workshops, and a Youth Workshop for high school-age writers. The 2024 faculty includes poet Heather Green, fiction writer Matt Burgess, creative nonfiction writer Melissa Scholes Young, and writer Eva Freeman to lead the Youth Workshop. Additional speakers and Writer-in-Residence for 2024 are to be announced.
There is no application fee, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Our website (linked here) and social media accounts (linked below) will be updated soon; check in 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 2024 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 three genres (fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction). 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 2024 Chesapeake Writers’ Conference (June 16-22) invites writers at all experience levels interested in creative writing, literary citizenship, and professional writing to apply for the 2024 conference.
Additionally, we offer:
- Undergraduate course credit for college and non-degree-seeking students, e.g., Youth Workshop participants (two credit hours of college credit from St. Mary's College of Maryland).
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit for teachers (two graduate credit hours from St. Mary's College of Maryland).
- A day of visiting 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 more than one workshop genre (fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction). Ultimately, even if accepted in multiple genres, you must choose a genre workshop (because the workshops meet simultaneously).
All applicants:
- For poetry submissions, upload 4-6 poems (in one file/document, please).
- For prose, 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.
Students:
- Please check the box below for College Credit if you plan to register for and pursue course credit via the Seminar in Creative Writing (ENGL395).
Teachers:
- Please check the box below for the Teacher's Worksop if you plan to register for and pursue course credit via the MSDE-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course.