Each summer, writers with a passion for the word come to Wyoming and to Grand Teton National Park’s backyard for the Jackson Hole Writers Conference. Writers drive in from the neighborhood, states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Montana, and fly in from as far away as Florida and Alaska. This summer promises to be even busier than ever with people coming to our corner of the world to witness the complete solar eclipse, Aug. 21. With or without a solar eclipse, Jackson Hole is 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. Because of our intimate size, attendees at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference meet each other and the faculty, sharing ideas along with their beer, making new contacts in a workshop, finding a mentor on a walk. 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

For 25 years the Jackson Hole Writers Conference has been bringing writers who have ignited and continue to ignite the literary scene.  This year will be no exception: C.J. Box, Jamie Ford, Bill Konigsberg, Alyson Hagy, Peggy Eddleman, Marni Jackson, and Matteo Pistono will join forces with poets Kerri Webster and Teddy Macker.  Our distinguished speakers, editors and agents join a resident faculty which includes best-selling author Kyle Mills and award-winning fiction writers, like Susan Marsh. New to the resident faculty is memoir writer Kevin Grange. 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.

As in recent years, the conference venue will be the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts, a modern setting in Old West 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.

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 more 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 Massachusetts to Florida, from Texas to Washington 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.