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Each Fall, MTSU Write celebrates its mission by hosting the Creative Writing Conference on the MTSU campus.  The Conference brings together students, mentors, alumni, and members of the community for learning, networking, and recognizing program graduates.

We are working on our fall conference schedule and will be sharing details here as they are confirmed. Registration will open July 1st! 

Conference Theme

The 2023 conference theme is Wild | Home: Writing What Roots & Frees Us and will feature classes and presentations that will invite you to write both toward solace and freedom, to explore both the familiar and unfamiliar with attention and wonder. This year's conference will take place Friday, October 6 (virtual) and Saturday, October 7 (on MTSU's campus).

Keynote Speaker

We are excited to share that our Fall 2023 Keynote Speaker will be acclaimed writer Janisse Ray!

Janisse Ray is an award-winning American author. Much of her writing explores the borderland between nature and culture: she believes in the power of stories to bring about transformation—in an individual, a community, or a nation.

Ray has published over a dozen books across genres and has won an American Book Award, Pushcart Prize, Southern Booksellers Award, Southern Environmental Law Center Writing Award, Nautilus Award, and Eisenberg Award, among many others. Her collection of essays, Wild Spectacle, received the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence.

Ray lives on an organic farm inland from Savannah, Georgia. She loves dark chocolate, the blues, and anything in flower.

Conference Schedule

Use the following links to jump to:

• Virtual programming (10/6/23
• Kick-off Celebration & Reading (in-person, Friday 10/6/23)
• In-person programming (10/7/23)
• Registration

VIRTUAL Programming: Friday, October 6 (10:00am-3pm CDT)

 

10:00am-11:30am (CT): TBD

Noon-1:00pm (CT): Readings from MTSU Write Students and Mentors

 

1:00pm-3:00pm (CT): For our afternoon virtual programming, you will be able to choose from among the three following sessions:

 

Friday, October 6: Kick-off Gathering & Reading("doors" open 6:00, readings start at 6:30pm)

Please join us for a kick-off reading location TBD! This reading, cosponsored by Poetry in the Boro, will feature poet (and conference presenter) Brenda Cardenas and Craig Freeman and limited open mic slots. Free and open to the public.

IN-PERSON Saturday, October 7, 8:00am-4:00pm, Academic Classroom Building (MTSU)

8:00am-9:00am: Continental Breakfast, Registration, & Welcome from MTSU Write Director Amie Whittemore

Session 1 Options: 9:00am-10:30am

Session 2: 10:45am-12:15pm

12:15-2:30pm: Lunch & Keynote Address from Janisse Ray

Session 3: 2:30pm-4:00pm

Registration: 

Conference Registration will open June 15, 2023 and early bird pricing will be available until August 31, 2023.  Registration is FREE for MTSU Write students and mentors. Limited free registration will be offered to MTSU students.

• Use this link to register if you are a community member.
• Use this link to register if you are an MTSU Write student or mentor, OR if you are a current MTSU student.

Registration Prices:

• Virtual Programming (10/6/23): $75
• In-Person Programming (10/7/23): $125
• or register for BOTH for $150

Questions? Email mtsuwrite@mtsu.edu.