Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference

The Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference, sponsored by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University (ASU), will be held on October 16 and October 17 on the university’s campus in Tempe, Arizona. The theme for the 2026 conference is “Pushing the Envelope: Risk and Vulnerability.” Programming includes craft talks, classes, generative workshops, panels, readings, and events focused on the business of writing for poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators. The faculty includes poets Remica Bingham-Risher, Lauren Camp, Kathy Fagan, Laurie Ann Guerrero, Saúl Hernández, Travis Chi Wing Lau, Sean Avery Medlin, Susan Nguyen, Justin Petropoulos, Alberto Ríos, Cecilia Savala, and Laura Tohe; poetry and fiction writers Jenny Irish, Oscar Mancinas, and Sally Wen Mao; poetry and creative nonfiction writers Anel I. Flores, Kenny Fries, and Naomi Ortiz; fiction writers Amber Blaeser-Wardzala, Jonathan Danielson, Wendy J. Fox, Karen Odden, Barry Pearce, and Gionni Ponce; fiction and creative nonfiction writers Reyna Grande and Jen Knox; fiction writer and translator David Bowles; and creative nonfiction writers Sarah Viren and Nicole Walker. Novelist Stephen Graham Jones will deliver the keynote address. Participating publishing professionals include agent Regina Brooks (Serendipity Literary Agency). The cost of the conference is $175 with registration by July 15 or $225 thereafter until September 30. Single-day passes are available for $100. A discounted rate of $140 is offered to senior citizens, Arizona educators, active or retired military, and people with disabilities. A rate of $80 is offered to students. Scholarships are available for Arizona educators and writers with financial need; submit a completed application, including a statement about your personal and professional goals, by August 1. Lodging is available at the Omni Tempe hotel at a reduced rate of $239 per night, as well as at other nearby hotels offering discounted rates. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Accessibility accommodations include public transportation near the venue; elevators in multilevel event spaces; accessible parking, sidewalks, pathways, doorways, bathrooms, and dining halls; reserved seating in all event spaces; ASL interpretation; assistive listening devices; transcriptions of talks; and closed captioning for virtual programming. Contact events manager Iliana Garcia via e-mail, at iliana.garcia.1@asu.edu, for additional accessibility details by October 2.