James River Writers Conference

The 23rd annual James River Writers Conference was held online and in person from October 3 to October 5 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond. The conference started with online master classes on October 3; the following two days of programming included in-person pitch sessions with literary agents, first page and query letter critiques, workshops, panels, networking opportunities, and a poetry showcase for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Participating writers included poets Rosa Castellano, Tony Keith Jr., Steven Leyva, and Gloria Muñoz; fiction writers Clay McLeod Chapman and Etaf Rum; fiction and creative nonfiction writer Kris Spisak; creative nonfiction writers Elizabeth Becker, Aimee Seiff Christian, and Laurie Gwen Shapiro; and memoirist Annabelle Tometich. Publishing professionals included literary agents Eloy Bleifuss (Neon Literary), Jessica Felleman (Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency), Paloma Hernando (Ayesha Pande Literary), Helen Masvikeni (Megibow Literary Agency), Kate McKean (Howard Morhaim Literary Agency), Heather Osborn (Spencerhill Associates), and Jade Wong-Baxter (Frances Goldin Literary Agency). The cost of the in-person conference, which included breakfast and lunch as well as a one-on-one meeting with an agent, was $135 for students, $399 for James River Writers members, and $475 for nonmembers. Single-day tickets were also available starting at $210 for members and $240 for nonmembers. The cost of a master class was $50 for members and $75 for nonmembers. The deadline for registration was September 29; applications for query letter and first page critique sessions were submitted by September 19. Visit the website for more information.

Accessibility accommodations included elevator access to all multilevel event spaces; accessible sidewalks, pathways, and doorways; accessible bathrooms; accessible parking; closed captioning for online programming; and signage in Braille. Writers contacted the director of programs and communications via phone or e-mail for additional accessibility details.