Writers’ Workshop at Exeter

This writing workshop is for anyone who is eager to write, to awaken acts of imagination, to practice deep listening and to explore new forms as writers in a collaborative Harkness workshop setting.

Participants, many of whom are teachers of writing, will workshop their own writing, generate new work, attend readings, discuss literature, and develop approaches and new strategies for classroom teaching. The conference is open to all levels of experience and for anyone who wants to write, whether poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, manifestos, monologues or more.

Each day starts with time to work on your own writing, revise old work and generate new material. The day then unfolds with Harkness discussions about literature and readings from a diverse array of voices and styles for inspiration.

A typical conference schedule includes:

• Morning sessions from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Afternoon sessions from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Optional evening events: 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Afternoons are for workshops of individual writing with early evening time set aside for one-on-one conferences with conference leaders. The days conclude with readings by guest writers, conversations with colleagues and engaging in social activities. Recent guest authors have included Layli Long Soldier, Paul Harding, Karen Tei Yamashita, Safia Elhillo, Diane Ackerman and Amber Blaeser-Wardzala. All participants are also invited to attend lectures from our keynote speakers.