Genre: Poetry

Calabash International Literary Festival

May/June 2025

The Calabash International Literary Festival was held from May 23 to May 25 at the Jack Sprat restaurant and bar in the fishing village of Treasure Beach, Jamaica. Programming included author readings, panels, and live music events.

Type: 
FESTIVAL
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
June 20, 2026
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Free Admission: 
yes
Contact Information: 

Calabash International Literary Festival, 2A Bamboo Avenue #4, Kingston 6, Jamaica. Justine Henzell, Cofounder and Festival Producer.

Justine Henzell
Cofounder and Festival Producer
Contact City: 
Treasure Beach
Country: 
JM
Add Image: 
Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Indiana University Writers’ Conference

May/June 2025

The 2025 Indiana University Writers’ Conference was held from June 5 to June 8 at University of Indiana in Bloomington. The conference featured workshops, craft classes, panel discussions, and readings for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. The faculty included poets janan alexandra and Safia Elhillo, fiction writers Stephen Amidon and Marguerite Sheffer, creative nonfiction writer John Cotter, and memoirist Elisa Gabbert. The cost of the conference, including tuition for a workshop and all classes, panels, and readings, was $825.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
June 20, 2026
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Indiana University Writers’ Conference, Ballantine Hall 440, 1020 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. Bob Bledsoe, Director.

Bob Bledsoe
Director
Contact City: 
Bloomington
Contact State: 
IN
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
47405
Country: 
US
Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction
Tags: 
writing conferences

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference

May/June 2025

The 30th annual Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) Postgraduate Writers’ Conference was held from August 2 to August 8, 2025, on the Champlain College campus in Burlington, Vermont. Designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience, the conference featured workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft talks, and one-on-one consultations with faculty members. Each workshop was limited to five or six participants. The faculty included poets Kathleen Graber, Tomás Q.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
June 20, 2026
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, 36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. Ellen Lesser, Director.

Ellen Lesser
Director
Contact City: 
Burlington
Contact State: 
VT
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
05401
Country: 
US
Add Image: 
A red building with a green roof on the campus of the Vermont College of Fine Art
Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Chesapeake Writers’ Conference

May/June 2026

The 13th annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference will be held from June 21 to June 27 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, and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes poet Karen Leona Anderson, fiction writers Matt Burgess and Jerry Gabriel, and creative nonfiction writers Randle Browning and Jennifer Cognard-Black. The cost of tuition is $850; the cost of tuition with college course credit is $1,450.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
no
Event Date: 
June 21, 2026
Rolling Admissions: 
yes
Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
June 20, 2026
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

Chesapeake Writers’ Conference, St. Mary’s College, Montgomery Hall, 47645 College Drive, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Crystal Oliver, Conference Director.

Crystal Oliver
Conference Director
Contact City: 
St. Mary’s City
Contact State: 
MD
Contact Zip / Postal Code: 
20686
Country: 
US
Add Image: 
An aerial shot displaying a small peninsula extending into a large body of water.
Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Prize for Literature

Towson University
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
June 15, 2025
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by a current resident of Maryland who has lived in the state for at least three years. Books published within the past three years or scheduled for publication in 2025 are eligible. Publishers, institutions, or individuals may submit three copies of a book or manuscript by June 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Q&A With Jennifer Acker of the Common

Caption: 

Jennifer Acker, founder and editor in chief of the Common, answers questions about the journal’s mission, slush piles, and her editorial process in this virtual event with Becky Tuch for the Lit Mag News Roundup. An interview with Acker about the Common’s fifteenth anniversary is featured in the May/June issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.

Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction
Translation
Tags: 
Jennifer Acker
The Common
literary magazine
publishing
submission process
Becky Tuch
May/June 2025

African Diaspora Award

Kinsman Quarterly
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
August 31, 2025
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Kinsman Quarterly is given annually for a group of poems, a short story, or an essay on a theme related to African culture or subculture. The winner will also have their work featured in the 2026 anthology Mosaic: Threads of African Prose & Poetry. Using only the online submission system, submit up to six poems totaling no more than 10 pages, a short story of 500 to 5,000 words, or an essay of up to 1,000 words with a $25 entry fee by June 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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