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The Writer’s News

The Writer’s News keeps you informed about new developments in the writing world, including award and publication announcements, news from AWP and the field, and updates about important literary figures.

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  • March 1, 2024

    Celebrate Women's History Month!

    March is Women’s History Month! Please join AWP in honoring women’s contributions and recognizing the importance of gender equality and women’s rights. Check out our compilation of online events, Writer’s Chronicle articles, and educational resources, as well as a curated Bookshop.org list of our staff’s favorite reads for Women’s History Month. Read more...


  • February 7, 2024

    #AWP24 HBCU Fellowship Program Events

    The AWP HBCU Fellowship Program will have a lot to offer at #AWP24 in Kansas City—not just to our wonderful faculty and student fellows, but to all conference attendees! Read more...


  • February 1, 2024

    Celebrate Black History Month

    Please join AWP in honoring Black History Month this February. AWP is committed to respecting, uplifting, and honoring Black voices both inside and outside the literary world, especially voices in underrepresented and marginalized communities. In honor of Black History Month, we’re providing a compilation of past AWP panels and events, Writer’s Chronicle articles, online educational events, and a Bookshop.org list of influential and prolific Black authors and poets. Read more...


  • January 30, 2024

    A Letter from Missouri Senator Greg Razer

    For most of you in attendance, let me be the first to welcome you to your home away from home for the next several days. Welcome to Kansas City, Missouri. Read more...


  • January 8, 2024

    Welcome to Kansas City, AWP!

    Hello and welcome! I’m Joel Barrett, your Kansas City ambassador for #AWP24, and I’m genuinely thrilled to introduce you to our dynamic and historic city. When my husband David and I moved here in 2016, we quickly realized that Kansas City was far from the “cow town” stereotype. Instead, it’s a thriving cosmopolitan hub, brimming with rich and diverse cultural experiences. Read more...


  • December 19, 2023

    A Note from Our Executive Director

    Dear AWP Members, It is hard to believe 2023 is drawing to a close. It was a wonderful year filled with talented award winners, gifted mentors and mentees, and a vibrant annual conference in Seattle—all because of you. Read more...


  • December 13, 2023

    Celebrating Diversity and Inclusivity in Kansas City: AWP’s Visit with the Local LGBTQIA+ Community

    During our fall 2023 board meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, AWP staff and the AWP board of directors connected with members of the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community in Kansas City. Thanks to the efforts of Joel Barrett, a key advocate for LGBTQIA+ visibility and inclusion, we were able to experience Kansas City’s dynamic cultural landscape firsthand ahead of the 2024 AWP Conference & Bookfair. This experience provided us with an enriching opportunity to explore the city’s diverse and welcoming spaces. Read more...


  • December 4, 2023

    AWP Is Delighted to Announce Jericho Brown as #AWP24 Conference & Bookfair Keynote Speaker

    AWP is delighted to announce that Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and educator Jericho Brown will give the AWP Keynote Address at the 2024 AWP Conference & Bookfair in Kansas City, Missouri. Read more...


  • November 29, 2023

    2024 AWP Award Series Contest & Judge Announcement

    We are excited to announce our judges for the 2024 AWP Award Series! AWP invites book-length entries between January 1 and February 28, 2024, via Submittable. Our judges will select one winning manuscript in creative nonfiction, the novel, poetry, and short fiction by late summer 2024. Winning authors receive a cash honorarium and publication by one of our partner presses. Read more...


  • November 14, 2023

    Transgender Awareness Week

    November 13–19 is Transgender Awareness Week. AWP is committed to uplifting and supporting trans writers and members, and is proud to include fantastic LGBTQIA+ panels at #AWP24. We’re highlighting some upcoming conference events as well as our #WritersServe partner, Pride Haven. Read more...