sign in sign up
<<
Home , Louise Erdrich

Conference & Bookfair February 8–11, 2017 Attendee Guide

COURTESY OF WASHINGTON.ORG

North America’s Largest Literary

PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN Conference

Walter E. Washington Convention Center & Marriott Marquis Washington

PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN

awpwriter.org #AWP17 PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN

#AWP17 Coming Soon! The AWP Conference & Bookfair is an essential annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Each year more than 12,000 attendees join our community for four days of insightful dialogue, networking, and unrivaled access to the organizations and opinion-makers that matter most in contemporary literature. PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN Why Choose #AWP17? • Choose from over 550 literary readings, panel discussions, and bookfair stages focusing on fiction, nonfiction, poetry and prose, social and regional issues, the writing craft, teaching, “I was thrilled to moderate publishing, marketing, and so much more. an insightful, diverse, • Access the largest literary marketplace in North America. thoughtful, serious, funny, The AWP Bookfair features over 800 small presses; literary amazing event on the magazines; e-journals; trade publishers; writers’ centers, enduring legacy of retreats, and residencies; and writing programs from universities William S. Burroughs. This around the world. event could have only • Hear readings, discussions, and attend book signings from come together at AWP.” your favorite writers, reviewers, publishers, and peers. Some of —Ira Silverberg, Strategic our most recent featured presenters have included Sherman Advisor, Open Road Alexie, , , , Integrated Media, and Joyce Carol Oates, , Claudia Rankine, Karen Former Literature Director Russell, Amy Tan, Derek Walcott, Jeannette Winterson, Tobias of the National Endowment for the Arts Wolff, and hundreds more.

• Network, collaborate, and have fun with your peers at hundreds of parties, receptions, and offsite events to further personalize your experience. Who Attends the Conference? The AWP Conference & Bookfair welcomes writers and literary devotees from all walks of life. Our attendees include thousands of writers, editors, publishers, graduate students, agents, arts administrators, and teachers who are passionate about literature. When Is the Conference? On Wednesday, February 8, 2017, registration will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., but official

conference events begin 9:00 a.m. Thursday, February PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN 9, 2017 and continue until Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 12 midnight. How Do I Register? Conference registration opens Monday, August 1, 2016 and the lowest early bird rates are available until Friday, October 14, 2016. Special packages and rates are available for AWP members, students, seniors, and presenters. For the full pricing list, check out the AWP Registration page. Where Can I Stay? Hotel reservations open on August 15, 2016. The official conference hotel is the Marriott Marquis Washington, and overflow hotels will be available. Reserve your room early to avoid disappointment. PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN Please refer to the Hotel and Travel page for the most up-to-date information. Who Is Presenting? The keynote speaker is Azar Nafisi, and the official in the country. Check out the Bookfair page on our conference schedule will be available online mid- website for an up-to-date list of exhibitors. Visit the October, 2016. bookfair to browse titles, find new magazines, go to author signings, talk with your favorite presses, and To view the most up-to-date list of featured presenters, connect with friends and colleagues. visit the Featured Presenters page on our website. A complete list of conference events and presenters can be found on the 2017 Conference Schedule on the Where Can I Eat? AWP website. Attendees are welcome to take breaks at their leisure, and concessions will be available in the bookfair. Attendees may also enjoy the many restaurants Who Exhibits at the Bookfair? and bars close to the convention center, including The over 800 exhibitors in the bookfair represent many Graffiato, Zaytinya, SUNdeVICH, Corduroy, City of the most respected, up-and-coming, and well- Tap House , Dangerously Delicious Pies, and R.F.D. known publishers, journals, and literary institutions Washington.

“The AWP conference’s audience of thousands of passionate readers, writers, and teachers has been the perfect forum to showcase the National Book Critics Circle award winners and finalists. Over the past five years, I’ve hosted numerous events featuring some of contemporary literature’s best authors, and it’s hard to beat the scope of the conference year after year.”

—Jane Ciabattari, Vice President/Online, National Book Critics Circle “As a president of AWP nearly three decades The Cultural Scene in ago, I have watched this association grow from Washington, DC a determined, at times Washington, DC, is filled with many exciting attractions, from the well-known monuments of the National Mall to the lesser known beleaguered group of museums, venues, bookstores and charming neighborhoods. writers struggling to claim No trip to Washington is complete without a visit to the National a spot on the academical Mall and Tidal Basin, where the Lincoln, Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., National World War II and Vietnam map, to a bustling, Veterans Memorials are all located. The majority of the seventeen formidable institution—if Smithsonian Museums are located around the National Mall as well (Smithsonian Metro); all are free to enter, and contain well- not the major institution— curated exhibits on history, art, and science. in the panoply of Washington, DC, has some of the best libraries and bookstores in American arts and letters.” the US. Visit the , the nation’s first established cultural institution (South Capital Metro). The Folger Shakespeare —Rita Dove, Library houses the world’s largest Shakespeare collection and hosts Former U.S. Poet Laureate museum exhibits and performances of the bard’s plays (South Capital Metro). Politics and Prose is one of the District’s best-loved bookstores. It offers an impressive selection in its main location (Van Ness/Tenleytown Metro) and hosts events at venues around the city, including the beautiful synagogue at Sixth & I (Gallery Place Chinatown Metro). Busboys and Poets, a local chain of cafes, includes a small bookstore at each location and hosts open mic nights and other events. Other great bookstores to try include Bridge Street Books (Foggy-Bottom Metro), Kramer Books (Dupont Circle Metro), Capitol Hill Books (Eastern Market Metro), and Upshur Street Books (Georgia Ave Petworth Metro).

Washington, DC, is filled with opportunities to take in theatre, music, and film.Arena Stage (Waterfront Metro), The Kennedy Center (Foggy Bottom Metro), and the Shakespeare Theatre (Gallery Place Chinatown Metro) put on world-class productions, and rock venues like the 9:30 Club and the Black Cat (U Street Metro) are regularly rated as some of the best in the country. E Street Cinema (Metro Center Metro) shows a wide selection of independent films and is a great retreat on a rainy day. If you’re looking for great restaurants and bars, head to the Adams Morgan neighborhood PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN (Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro), the U Street/Logan Circle area (U Street Metro), or Barracks Row (Eastern Market Metro). What Are My Travel Options in Washington, DC? Transportation in the DC area include Dulles International Airport, Washington International Thurgood Marshal Airport, Reagan National Airport, and Amtrak and train services at Union Station. Transportation around town includes the Metro and buses managed by WMATA, the DC Circulator Buses, and the DC Streetcar. For details, please visit our Hotel and Travel page.

PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN Timeline August 1, 2016: Early bird registration opens First Timer Tips • Register and book your hotel August 15, 2016: Hotel reservations open early for optimal pricing and Mid-October: Official conference schedule goes live location. • Arrive in Washington, DC October 14, 2016: Deadline for early bird registration rates on Wednesday, February 8 to pick up your conference February 8, 2017: #AWP17 Begins badge & materials. Expect longer lines on Thursday Stay connected to the AWP Conference & Bookfair through morning, February 9. Facebook and Twitter (#AWP17). Visit the Conference page on the • Download the conference website for the most up-to-date information. mobile app, so you can plan your days and stay up-to- Who Is AWP? date with any changes. • Wear comfortable shoes Founded in 1967 by fifteen writers representing thirteen creative writing and stay hydrated while programs, today AWP provides support, advocacy, resources, and walking around. community to nearly 50,000 writers, 540 college and university creative writing programs, and over 125 writers’ conferences and centers. Our mission is to foster literary achievement, advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing. For more information on our history, goals for the future, and what resources are available to you, check out our About section on the website. Where Is the Next Conference? Each year, AWP holds its Annual Conference & Bookfair in a different region of the country. Future locations include Tampa (2018), and Portland (2019).

If you have any additional questions, simply read our conference FAQs.

PHOTO BY ROBB COHEN

“The AWP Conference is the greatest gathering of writers, publishers, and magazine editors in the United States. The Conference allows writers to break out of their isolation and come together every year to discuss their craft and celebrate their art. Our profession would be a great deal poorer without it.”

—Pablo Medina, Graduate Program Director, Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing, Emerson College, and the author of Cubop City Blues