Alabama Writers' Forum

The NewSouth Bookstore's Second Annual Sidewalk Sale!
2024-10-03 10:00 - 2024-10-06 18:00 (America/Chicago) | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Our first annual Sidewalk Sale held last year was such a great success that we have decided to do it again. Thousands of books priced at just $1, $3, and $5 will be on tables curbside this coming fall, from Thursday, October 3 to Sunday, October 6, from 10am until 6pm. That’s four days of fun browsing for book treasures. There’ll be something for everyone, we promise — and you can’t beat the prices! Mark your calendars to head to the bookstore for this special event in early October!

Sunspot Lit Calling for Novella-length Fiction and Nonfiction
2024-10-01 - 2024-10-31 | Online, NC
For a limited time, Sunspot Lit is calling for single works of novella-length fiction or nonfiction in any category, including memoir, literary, genre, and historical. Open October 1 through October 31. Guidelines and submission forms at Submittable: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit or Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/sunspot-literary-journal-LIXJW.

Author Terah Shelton Harris Book Discussion, Sept. 26, at Opelika Public Library, 6 p.m.
2024-09-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Opelika Public Library, 1100 Glenn Street, Opelika, AL, 36801, United States
Join Opelika Public Library for a FREE program with author Terah Shelton Harris, who will discuss her latest novel, Long After We Are Gone, Sept.26, 6:00 p.m. For more information, call 334-705-5380.

Thursday, September 26 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Stephen Puleo, author of The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union
2024-09-26 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Charles Sumner, a lifelong crusader for human rights, has not been the subject of a comprehensive biography in many decades. Stephen Puleo fills that gap with his deeply researched and dramatic retelling of Sumner’s courageous life and work. The Great Abolitionist has been called “a superb new biography” and “a masterful account.” We are thrilled to host the author for a book talk and signing. Join us at The NewSouth Bookstore on Thursday, September 26 at 5:30pm.

Book Signing with Author/Educator Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), Sept. 26, 4 p.m., Alabama Booksmith in Homewood
2024-09-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Alabama Booksmith, 2626 19th Pl S Homewood, AL, 35209, 2626 19th Pl S, Homewood, AL, 35209, United States
Charles Ghigna, better known as Father Goose, will be available to sign his newest book, Bound to Dream, An Immigrant Story, Thurs., Sept. 26 at the Alabama Booksmith in Homewood at 4 p.m. “This captivating picture book transcends borders and generations, telling the heartwarming true story of Carlo, a young Italian immigrant who embarks on a new life as a bookbinder in 1800s New York City.”
Thurs., Sept. 26
BOOK SIGNING
Charles Ghigna at the Alabama Booksmith, Homewood – 4 p.m.
Sat., Oct 12
BOOK SIGNING
Charles Ghigna at Barnes & Noble/Patton Creek/Galleria, Hoover – 1 p.m.
Sat., Oct 19
BOOK SIGNING
Charles Ghigna at Barnes & Noble/Summit, Mountain Brook – 1 p.m.

Wednesday, September 25 at 5pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Rachelle Zola on her 754-mile pilgrimage for social change
2024-09-25 17:00 - 18:30 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
She’s white. She’s 75. She’s on a 754-mile pilgrimage from Chicago to Montgomery, a journey made to bring attention to the pervasive realities of racism and to amplify the voices of those who’ve been marginalized and even silenced in our country. Her extraordinary story is one worth telling. Come hear more about the inspiration for her journey, her experiences along the way, and her deeply felt conviction that we should together, always, honor the ideal of equity for all. At The NewSouth Bookstore on Wednesday, September 25, at 5pm, an event co-sponsored by the Baha’is of Montgomery.

Alabama State Poetry Society Online Open Mic
2024-09-23 18:30 - 19:30, 2024-08-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Join us for online poetry open mics the 4th Monday of each month!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85693609367
Meeting ID: 856 9360 9367

"Old Enough" Event by OLLI in Auburn, Featuring Author Angela Jackson-Brown, Sept. 19, 2:30-4 p.m., Harris Center in Auburn
2024-09-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Harris Center, 425 Perry St., Auburn, AL, 36830, United States
September 19, 2024
Storytelling and the Creative Process in Southern Literature
Angela Jackson-Brown

So join us this Thursday, Sept. 19, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Harris Center in Auburn and learn more about Jackson-Brown’s Muse, inspirations, and her forthcoming novel, Untethered, which is due out in December.

This event, which is free and open to the public, is cosponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance, Alabama State Council on the Arts, and the City of Auburn, AL – City Government. We are SO grateful for their support!

Alabama State Poetry Society Fall Submission Open Now Until October 11, 2024
2024-09-19 08:00 - 2024-10-11 23:59
ALABAMA STATE POETRY SOCIETY
FALL 2024 CONTEST

ALABAMA STATE POETRY SOCIETY FALL CONTEST (Sponsored by ASPS)

Open to ASPS Members Only
$75, $50, $25, $10 and 3 Honorable Mentions in order of merit
Any form, any subject, no line limit.

OTIS DEES POETRY AWARD (in honor of Otis Dees, Mvskoke, father of sponsor Dr. Deidra Dees)

$400 – Humken (first); $300 – Hokkolen (second); $200 Tucenen (third); $100 Osten (fourth)
Subject: Native Americans; Form: any
Indigenous Poets and Poets of Color are especially encouraged to enter, but all are welcome.

BROOD XIX CONTEST: The Natural History Award (sponsored by Susan Luther)

3 Equal Awards of $50, HM at Judge’s Discretion
Subject: Write a poem about, or that makes significant reference to, or that is in the voice of an unusual or striking natural phenomenon (such as, for example, the 13-year cicadas whose collective voice enveloped Alabama neighborhoods this past spring; the Northern Lights; a sun dog.
NOTE: Must be a member of ASPS to enter. All Winning Poems must be read aloud at the Fall Awards Ceremony, by proxy if necessary.
Form: Any.

WISH CONTEST (Sponsored by Jeanette Willert)
$200; $100; $75; $25, HM at Judge’s Discretion

Subject: “A Wish”
Form: Any. No Line Limit

BEACH BARDS PUBLISHING CONTEST (Sponsored by Beach Bards Publishing, LLC)

$40, $25, $15
Subject: Love of Libraries
Form: Any rhyming poem
Line Limit: 40

POEMS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (sponsor/judge: Mike Turner)

$50, $30, $20, 2 HMs
Subject: Choice. Form: Any.
Line Limit: 30

BUDDY ROBERTS MEMORIAL AWARD (Sponsored by Harry and Rita Moritz)

$50, $25, $15, $10, Honorable Mentions at judge’s discretion
Form: Poet’s Choice (If you use a form, name it.)
Topic: Making a Difference
40 line limit

PRECIOUS PRODIGAL CONTEST (Sponsored by Harry and Rita Moritz)

$60, $25, $15
Form: Any Standard Form (Entry must state the form, and comply with its requirements)
Topic: Any
Line Limit: As dictated by form

I’LL TAKE THE FRENCH FORM, S’IL VOUS PLAIT (sponsored by Writer’s Anonymous)

$75, 50, 25 (Honorable Mentions at judge’s discretion)
Form: Any French form (such as Villanelle, Rondel, Cinquain, Rondeau, etc.)
Topic: Open (no politics), Line Limit: As dictated by form

BKC Award in Honor of Bettye Kramer Cannizzo (sponsored by Jessica Temple)

$60, $30, $10 (Honorable Mentions at judge’s discretion)
Subject: Alabama the Beautiful; Form: Any
Line Limit – 60 Lines

RULES! (We gotta have rules, otherwise there is chaos.)

Deadline for entry is October 11, 2024. Entries must be either postmarked or received online by that date.
Entry Fees:

ASPS Members: $1 per poem.
Non-Members: $5 per poem.
No limit on number of poems whether member or non-member!

More than one poem can be submitted in any category, but only one poem per poet may win in a category.
The same poem may not be entered into more than one category.
Poems cannot have won a monetary award in a previous ASPS contest.
Poems cannot have been previously published, including online.
The line limit for each category is as stated in the contest. If no limit is stated, there is none.

Submission Guidelines:

By Mail:

Submit 2 copies of each poem on 8 ½ by 11 paper, using plain type and fonts only.
On each copy, put category name and number in the upper left hand corner.
On one copy only, put your name, address, e-mail, and “member” or “non-member” in the upper right hand corner. (Address labels are acceptable.)
Submissions should be mailed to:

Dargan M. Ware, Contest Chair
2154 Highland Avenue S.
Birmingham, AL 35205

Online:

Entries can be submitted at alpoets.org until midnight on October 18
Create the documents as you would to mail, with two copies of each poem
Submit your entries as a single .pdf file.

If you would like a copy of the winners list, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the contest chair.

Questions? Complaints? Brilliant poetry-related thoughts? Email the contest chair at dware@davisnorris.com

Tuesday, September 17 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Jim Morris, author of The Cancer Factory
2024-09-17 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Environmental journalist Jim Morris joins us for a talk about his highly praised new book, The Cancer Factory. The story concerns a group of Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers who were exposed to toxic chemicals, the lawyer who sought justice on their behalf, and the shameful lack of protection our society affords all workers. With four decades of reporting behind him, the author offers an authoritative and chilling account that is also a clarion call for change. We are fortunate to host Jim Morris at The NewSouth Bookstore for a talk and signing on Tuesday, September 17 at 5:30pm. Hope you can join us.

Thirteen Bridges Review Short Fiction Submissions Open Sept. 13-Dec. 1, 2024
2024-09-13 08:00 - 2024-12-01 23:59 | AUM, 7400 East Drive, Montgomery, AL, United States
At Thirteen Bridges Review we are looking for beautifully written, character-driven fiction pieces for our online monthly story feature and are open to all forms and styles.
Stories should be readable in one sitting, so we’ll consider anything from flash/micro up to about eight pages double spaced.
We are happy to accept simultaneous submissions. Just let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Please do not submit previously published work.
Please submit only one short story or up to three flash/micro pieces.
Please submit as Microsoft Word document only.
We look forward to reading your work.
Accepted submissions will be published on our website as a monthly story feature and will also be considered for publication in our print journal this spring.
Thirteen Bridges Review Submission Manager – Call for Short Fiction – Thirteen Bridges Online (submittable.com)

Thirteen Bridges Review Poetry Submissions Open Sept. 13- Dec 1, 2024
2024-09-13 08:00 - 2024-12-01 23:59 | AUM, 7400 East Drive, Montgomery, AL, United States
At Thirteen Bridges Review, we are currently featuring new poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction as a monthly feature on our website, and we’d love the chance to consider your work.
Please send us your best poetry, up to three poems. We are open to all forms and styles.
We are happy to accept simultaneous submissions. Just let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Please do not submit previously published work.
Please submit as Microsoft Word documents.
We look forward to reading your work.
All accepted submissions will be published on our website and will be considered for publication in our first print issue this spring.
Thirteen Bridges Review Submission Manager – Call for Poetry – Thirteen Bridges Online (submittable.com)

Third Thursday Poetry Series to Feature Poets Catherine Carter and Brian Gastle at Pebble Hill in Auburn, Sept. 12, 6:00 p.m.
2024-09-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, 101 S. Debardeleben St., Auburn, AL, 36849-5637, United States
This month’s Third Thursday reading will begin at 6:30 on September 19. Guest writers will be poets Catherine Carter and Brian Gastle, both of whom teach at Western Carolina University. The location, as usual, will be Pebble Hill on Debardeleben St. in Auburn.

Refreshments and book sales will be available beginning at 6 p.m.

The Third Thursday Poetry Series is sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Auburn University Department of English, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University; and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

Writing Workshop With James Braziel and Tina Mozelle Braziel at Standard Deluxe, Sept. 12, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
2024-09-12 17:30 - 19:00
Writers of Glass Cabin James Braziel and Tina Mozelle Braziel will conduct a writing workshop at Standard Deluxe in Waverly, Alabama, on Thursday, September 12, from 5:30-7 p.m. All experienced and aspiring writers are invited to attend.
Registration: https://www.facebook.com/events/52245821030271

Thursday, September 12 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Grace Elizabeth Hale book talk about In the Pines: A Lynching, a Lie, a Reckoning
2024-09-12 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
In this “courageous, compelling and essential and critically important book” (Bryan Stevenson), an award-winning scholar tackles her toughest research assignment yet: the unsolved murder of a Black man in rural Mississippi while her grandfather was the local sheriff, a cold case that sheds new light on the hidden legacy of racial terror in America. John Grisham calls the work “remarkable.” Join us at The NewSouth Bookstore for a talk by Grace Elizabeth Hale about her new book — a work of national and personal reckoning — on Thursday, September 12 at 5:30pm.

Writers-in-Residence in Auburn: Tina Mozelle Braziel and Jim Braziel, September 8-13
2024-09-08 16:00 - 2024-09-13 10:00 | Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, 101 S. Debardeleben St., Auburn, AL, 36849-5637, United States
Tina Mozelle Braziel and Jim Braziel
Writers-in-Residence – September 8 – 13
Co-sponsored by CMDCAH and Alabama Writers Forum

Sunday, September 8
After 4:00 p.m.
Check-in Lowrey Guest House
101 S. Debardeleben Street, Auburn

Monday, September 9
Auburn High School Class Visits
1:00 to 1:52 p.m. – Carley Muschara’s Composition 102
1:59 to 2:45 – Carley Muschara’s Composition 102
2:50 to 3:35 p.m. –Michelle Hopf’s Creative Writing Class
*Teachers have rec’d excerpt of Glass Cabin. Agenda for sessions will Q&A and
conversation around the excerpt/book and probably general questions on writing.

Tuesday, September 10
9:00 am – 10:30 a.m. – Ken Autrey’s Poetry Class
Pebble Hill

2:00 to 3:15 p.m.
Anton Disclafani Class Visit
Contact: Anton Disclafani, abd0025@auburn.edu, 404-218-4081

5:30-7:00 pm
Workshop at Opelika Public Library
Contact: Rosanna McGinnis Library Director, (334) 705-5380; rmcginnis@opelika-al.gov

Wednesday, September 11
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Justin Gardiner’s Class

2:00 p.m.
Signing at Auburn Oil Bookstore
Contact: Robin O’Bryant, robin@auburnoilbooksellers.com

Thursday, September 12
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Workshop at Standard Deluxe
Contact: Amy Miller, amy@darlingspot.com, (612) 807-6268

Friday, September 13
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Pebble Hill – Q&A/conversation with OLLI writers (12 people max). They will receive
excerpt from Glass Cabin. Ken Autrey will facilitate. They will enjoy a reading
from the book.

Pack up and check-out of Guest House thereafter.

Open Call for Writers and artists, longform included
2024-09-02 - 2024-09-30 | Online, NC
Longform fiction and CNF are accepted at Sunspot Lit. Current open call for the Longform category (3, 501 to 7,500 words) closes September 16. Open calls for shorter works, poetry and art close September 30. Submit here: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit.

Third Thursday Reading to Feature Auburn Writers: Ernest Gibson (poetry), Maria Kuznetsova (fiction), & Ken Autrey (poetry)
2024-08-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, 101 S. Debardeleben St., Auburn, AL, 36849-5637, United States
This month’s Third Thursday reading will begin at 6:30 on August 29 and will feature a trio of Auburn writers: Ernest Gibson (poetry), Maria Kuznetsova (fiction), and Ken Autrey (poetry).The location, as usual, will be Pebble Hill on Debardeleben St. in Auburn.

Third Thursday readings are free and open to the public. Refreshments and book sales will be available beginning at 6 p.m.

The Third Thursday Poetry Series is sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Department of English, and Southern Humanities Review in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University; and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

BRITTANY HOWARD & JASON ISBELL: IN CONVERSATION
2024-08-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, 35801, United States
Part of the 2024 Alabama Colloquium series, this event features an in-depth conversation between Grammy-winning musicians and songwriters Brittany Howard and Jason Isbell. The duo will be recognized as Alabama Humanities Fellows for how they use the humanities — and their Alabama roots — to lift others up and bring us together. Their powerful storytelling challenges us all to think, to empathize, and to explore what it means to be human. Howard and Isbell will be presented their awards by Patterson Hood, another legendary north Alabama musician and songwriter.
This event is a benefit for the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that provides public programming and grant opportunities statewide. For 50 years, storytelling has remained at the heart of AHA’s mission. When we share — and listen — to each other’s stories, what we’re really doing is getting to know each other better. We’re linking the past to the present. And we’re discovering the common ground, and the common humanity, that binds us all.

Announcing a group read of Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons: Thursday, August 22, at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore!
2024-08-22 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Off the smashing success of our three-part program on the great 19th-century writers, Dr. Lee Farrow will lead us in discussion about one of her favorite books, Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. The 1862 novel explores generational clash in mid-19th-century Russia, delving into the themes of love, politics, and societal change. Quite controversial at the time of publication, the work has endured for its modern sensibilities and powerful story. Pick up a copy of Fathers and Sons at The NewSouth Bookstore for reading in the next ten weeks, then join us for our group read
event in August. Mark your calendars with the date: Thursday, August 22 at 5:30pm.

It's Local Author Day at The NewSouth Bookstore on Saturday, August 17 at 2pm!
2024-08-17 14:00 - 16:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
The NewSouth Bookstore is hosting a local author event — our first — on Saturday, August 17, at 2pm. We’ll welcome a dozen-plus writers from our local community with whom you’ll enjoy talking and learning about their work. The authors have published across a range of book categories, including children’s, YA, romance, faith, and more. There’ll be happy noise in our dedicated events space where these authors will be tabled: Christiann Henderson, Tim Lawrence, Michael Jones, Martin Mayer, and Monica McCollough, just to name a few. Come meet these fine writers and others on the afternoon of August 17!

Ken Autrey Reading at Auburn Oil Company August 17 at 4:00 p.m.
2024-08-17 04:00 - 17:00 | Auburn Oil Booksellers, 169 East Magnolia Ave., Auburn, AL, 36830, United States
Join Ken Autrey, Saturday, August 17, at 4 p.m. at Auburn Oil Booksellers in Auburn for a brief reading from and conversation about his poetry collection, Circulation.

Ghost Ranch Writer's Retreat
2024-08-11 - 2024-08-15 | Ghost Ranch, 280 Private Drive 1708 Highway, US-84, Abiquiu, NM, 87510, United States
Austin Film Festival hosts a yearly screenwriters and filmmakers’ retreat at the artists’ haven Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. This year, our creative getaway will take place August 11-15, 2024. In a small group setting, the retreat explores finding and developing your creative voice.
This year, Wendy Calhoun (writer/producer – The Rookie: Feds, Prodigal Son, Station 19, Empire, Nashville, Revenge, Justified) and Jim Hart (writer Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Contact, Muppet Treasure Island, August Rush, The Hot Zone) will speak and offer insight on their writing process.
Previous attendees have described the Ghost Ranch Writers Retreat as:
– “The AFF Writers Retreat is a deeply meaningful experience for all writers. Its humanity, its warmth, its sincerity; none can be overstated.”
– “By far my best investment to grow and challenge my writing in a supportive environment.”
– “A magical historical creative oasis, a place where ideas and conversations flow and grow. You disconnect to reconnect—one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”
We are currently offering a $25 off promo code for AWF member use: GHOST25OFF.
Hope to see you at Ghost Ranch! If you have any questions on the event, please feel free to visit our website or call the Austin Film Festival office at 512-478-4795.

Mary Annaïse Heglar at The NewSouth Bookstore, Thursday, August 8 at 5:30pm!
2024-08-08 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Author Mary Annaïse Heglar is our special guest on Thursday, August 8 at 5:30pm, here to talk about the themes of her new novel, Troubled Waters, an unforgettable story of climate crisis, Black resistance, and the enduring power of family. Heglar will be in conversation with Kandeaux, a Tuskegee University alumna with a BS in Agricultural Business and a concentration in sustainability. She is the founder of The Farm Plug. We love how the bookstore gives us the opportunity to introduce new voices to you, with stories that spark understanding and engagement. Please join us!

Tuesday, August 6 at 5:30pm at The NewSouth Bookstore Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer talk about The Fall of Roe
2024-08-06 17:30 - 19:00 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
“The most important book in the lead up to this election,” according to MSNBC, is The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America. We are thrilled to bring to the store its two authors, Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer. The book from these top New York Times journalists is a tour de force, which tells the story of the plan to overturn Roe v. Wade and the consequences for women, abortion, and the future of America. This is a story located at the intersection of religion and power. There will be insights aplenty from this amazing team. At The NewSouth Bookstore on Tuesday, August 6 at 5:30pm. Don’t miss it.

Alabama Writers' Cooperative 2024 Conference, September 6-8 at Orange Beach!
2024-08-06 12:30 | Oarange Beach Community Center, 27235 Canal Rd., Orange Beach, AL, 36561, United States
AWC Conference 2024 Registration

September 6-8, 2024
The Alabama Writers’ Cooperative presents this year’s conference in beautiful Orange Beach, AL!
Our focus is to nurture and engage a diverse community of Alabama writers with this year’s conference, and we’re pleased with how the backgrounds and expertise of our faculty reflect that focus.
Registration is required. Manuscript consultations and First-page critiques are available to AWC members only.
Please follow the link below to become a member or to renew your membership if you’d like to register for one of these options, before you continue to registration. Annual membership is $25.
alabamawriterscooperative.org/membership

AWC Conference 2024 Registration

September 6-8, 2024
The Alabama Writers’ Cooperative presents this year’s conference in beautiful Orange Beach, AL!
Our focus is to nurture and engage a diverse community of Alabama writers with this year’s conference, and we’re pleased with how the backgrounds and expertise of our faculty reflect that focus.
Registration is required. Manuscript consultations and First-page critiques are available to AWC members only.
Please follow the link below to become a member or to renew your membership if you’d like to register for one of these options, before you continue to registration. Annual membership is $25.
alabamawriterscooperative.org/membership
About this year’s conference:
Prices:
– Full Conference – $175 (includes awards dinner)
– Student Discount – $150
– Saturday Workshops Only – $100
– Saturday Awards Dinner – $60
The conference will include manuscript consultations and a first-page reading at no additional charge for Full Conference attendees. AWC membership is required. These spaces are first come, first serve. Space is limited.
Manuscript Consultations:
Members may submit up to 10 pages. Each will be discussed during one-on-one sessions on Friday afternoon.
– Caleb Johnson (fiction) will accept the first 8 registrations.
– Sue Brannan Walker (poetry) will accept the first 8 registrations.
– Brooke Champagne (nonfiction) will accept the first 8 registrations.
First-page Reading:
The conference will also include a First-page Critique, where AWC members may submit the first page of their manuscript in progress to Aimee Hardy. She will read as many submissions aloud as time permits, providing comments on what’s working and what’s not, and giving general advice on what agents are looking for. This will be informative for participants to observe even if they don’t submit their first page.

Keynote Address:
The keynote speaker for Saturday’s Awards Dinner is JavaciaHarris Bowser.

AWC’s Annual Membership Meeting:
Sunday’s line up will feature the AWC annual membership meeting where AWC members will vote for next year’s board members.

Location:
*All workshops, open mic, awards dinner, and hotel will be located on Canal Rd. within a 4-mile stretch.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday workshops
Orange Beach Community Center
27235 Canal Rd.
Orange Beach, AL 36561

Wine Down Social & Awards Dinner
Magnolia Hall (located behind BuzzCatz Coffee & Sweets)
25689 Canal Rd Suite C
Orange Beach, AL 36561

Hotel:
Springhill Suites – Orange Beach at the Wharf
$145 per night – AWC group rate
www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1715202895586&key=GRP&app=resvlink
***Hotel reservations must be made on or before August 7, 2024 to receive the AWC group rate***
Conference Schedule
Friday 9/6/24:
Orange Beach Community Center

12:30 PM Bookstore Check-In & Networking

1:00 PM Don Noble – “Confessions of a Book Critic”
2:00 PM Matthew Layne – “The State of Alabama’s Libraries”
3:00 PM Barbara Barcellona Smith – “Let’s Write Books! Perspectives from the Writer of Let’s Eat Snails!”
4:00 PM Hallie Christensen and Emma Fox – “Writing Fantasy Novels for Young Readers”

1:00-5:00 PM Manuscript Consultations

5:00-5:30 PM Network & Netwine (BYOB) the Community Center has a refrigerator & ice machine
5:30-6:30 PM Open Mic
7:00 PM Bookstore Closes

7:00 PM (Optional) Opening Night After Party at The Galway Irish Public House – 2301 E 2nd St, Gulf Shores, AL

Saturday 9/7/24:
Orange Beach Community Center

8:30 AM Bookstore Opens & Networking

9:00 AM (Concurrent) Tina Mozelle Braziel and Jim Braziel – “Writing in Place”
*This workshop ONLY – will be located at Orange Beach Waterfront Park – 26425 Canal Rd
9:00 A.M (Concurrent) Don Keith – “Going Beyond Getting Ready to Start to Commence to Begin Thinking About Writing or Completing Your Novel”
10:00 AM Sue Walker and Saundra Grace – “Publishing Your Poetry Manuscript”
11:00 AM Aimee Hardy – “First-page Critique”
LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
1:00 PM Melissa Carrigee and Mandy Haynes – Publishing Panel: “Queries, Proposals, and Submissions”
2:00 PM T.K. Thorne and Debra Goldstein – “Understanding the Art of Mystery Writing”
3:00 PM Jason McCall – “Music Writing and the EkphrasticTradition”
4:00 PM Neal Wooten – “Make ‘Em Laugh”

5:30 PM Bookstore Closes

6:00 PM Wine Down Social – Magnolia Hall (located behind BuzzCatz Coffee & Sweets) 25689 Canal Rd Suite C

7:00 PM Awards Dinner – Magnolia Hall
Keynote Address: Javacia Harris Bowser – “Write With the Whole World in Your Arms: Building Writing Communities”

Sunday 9/8/24
Orange Beach Community Center

7:30 AM Bookstore Opens & Networking

8:00 AM Don Keith and Neal Wooten – “Beyond the Big Five: Assessing the Publishing Landscape”
9:00 AM Aimee Hardy – “Taking the Leap: How to Jump from Short Story- and Poetry-Writing to Novel-Writing”
10:00 AM Mike Turner – “Strategic Management for Impactful Writing”
11:00 AM AWC Annual Membership Meeting

12:30 PM Bookstore Check-Out

Southern Humanities Review Open for Submissions
2024-08-05 08:00 - 2024-10-15 17:00
Southern Humanities Review is seeking poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for our next quarterly issue. Submissions will be open until October 15. Fiction is capped at 250 submissions, and we are currently only open to historically underrepresented writers in poetry. There are 100 free submissions available for historically underrepresented writers in each genre. Contributors receive a small honorarium.

Sunday, August 4, at 3pm at The NewSouth Bookstore: Mike Coleman presents on the themes of his new memoir, The Way from Me to Us
2024-08-04 15:00 - 16:30 | The NewSouth Bookstore, 105 S. Court St, Montgomery, 36104, United States
Join us in celebration of the release of The Way from Me to Us by Mike Coleman. The book tells the powerful story of his coming out as a gay man at a time when doing so meant you could lose everything. But Coleman wins in this amazing story of how he took chances and found the love of his life. Together, he and his partner staked out a life together at a time when such things “just weren’t done,” bravely battling challenges of every variety, including from within. Coleman is a Georgia Author of the Year finalist; his story will move and inspire.

Nancy Owen Nelson and Harry Moore at Pebble Hill
2024-08-01 16:00 - 17:30 | Pebble Hill, 101 S. Debardeleben St., Auburn, AL, 36830, United States
Join poet Nancy Owen Nelson and author Harry Moore for a reading at Auburn University’s Pebble Hill.
Nancy Owen Nelson earned her BA from Birmingham-Southern and her MA and PhD from Auburn University. Her poems have been published in The South Dakota Review, Graffiti Rag, What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest, The MacGuffin, A Cloud of Possibility, Oberon, and This/That/Lit online journal. Published books include her memoirs, Searching for Nannie B: Connecting Three Generations of Southern Women (2015) and Divine Aphasia: A Woman’s Search for Her Father (2021); her poetry chapbook, My Heart Wears No Colors (2018); and her poetry book,Portals: A Memoir in Verse (2019). In 2019, her poem “Africatown,” was awarded second place for free verse in the Alabama Writers Conclave competition.
Recipient of the 2014 Writers Exchange Award from Poets & Writers, Harry Moore is the author of the poetry collection Bearing the Farm Away (Kelsay Books, 2018) and four chapbooks: What He Would Call Them(Finishing Line Press, 2013); Time’s Fool: Love Poems (Mule on a Ferris Wheel Press, Huntsville, AL, 2014); Retreat: A Way Forward(Finishing Line Press, 2017); and Beyond Paradise: The Unweeded Garden (Main Street Rag, 2020). His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, Plainsongs, Xavier Review, Pudding Magazine, Main Street Rag, South Carolina Review, Blue Unicorn, Slipstream, Anglican Theological Review, Ponder Review, and other journals.
