Writers with a passion for words and stories have been coming to Wyoming and to Grand Teton National Park’s backyard for the Jackson Hole Writers Conference for almost three decades. Both professional and novice writers drive in from the neighborhood, states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Montana, and fly in from as far away as Florida and Alaska. Last summer people from all over the world visited Jackson Hole to witness the total solar eclipse, Aug. 21. With or without a solar eclipse, Jackson Hole remains a spectacular place. While visitors have been attracted to the valley’s rugged iconic mountains and amazing wildlife, we like to think that writers come to our conference because they know they will get something special. Jackson Hole Writers Conference’s intimate size means writers meet each other and the faculty, share ideas along with a glass of beer or wine, and make new contacts in a workshop. Whether you have pursued the craft of writing for decades or only recently have set yourself on the journey to share your words with others, this writers conference won’t put you off.

Photo by Mary Morgan Beavers

This year we are excited by the return of Jewell Parker Rhodes (who will also be leading off our summer Kids Writing Camps, June 27-Aug. 8). In 2015 she fired us up with her keynote talk and her fiction workshop. She will be joined by best-selling authors Peter Heller, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Nancy Pearl, Craig Welch, and poet/memoirist/novelist Jon Pineda. Our distinguished speakers, editors and agents join a resident faculty which includes award-winning fiction writers, like Nina McConigley and Susan Marsh. The agents and editors are young and hungry for new voices, new stories. We promise three days of engaging dialogue, collaboration and the opportunity for all of us to raise the stakes on our work.

The conference venue again will be the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts, a modern setting in Jackson Hole. It is within walking distance of the town’s many amenities, eateries, and hotels. Jackson Hole continues to draw visitors from all over the world, even in June, so obtaining accommodations early is essential.

Manuscript critiques are an important part of our conference, providing a way for you, the writer, to discuss your work one-on-one with experienced writers, editors and agents. Read through our guidelines on the critiques and be aware that some of the guest faculty authors do not offer critiques; check their bios for this information. Our Silent Auction features critiques from most of our guest faculty, which is a great way to support the conference as well and to get some concentrated feedback on your writing.

Jackson Hole’s writing community began with the likes of Struthers Burt and Owen Wister who came out West to enliven their spirits with open spaces and nature’s untainted wonders. Over the years, many writers have passed through this area and many have stayed. Since the 1970s a noticeable literary undercurrent feeds the intellectual and arts community. Check out our resident writer faculty. They spend every season in this place and know it well.

At the Jackson Hole Writers Conference you will have ample opportunity to share your work, whether in the critiques or workshops, or at the open mic event! Writers from Maine to California, from Texas to Alaska know their fellow attendees will listen well. Serious writers pour into Jackson Hole each June looking for a fresh, but critical eye on their work. We think they get that, and that’s why they come back year after year. The collective story of the Writers Conference grows alongside the achievements of our guests. This year, that could be you starting a new tradition.