From July 15-27, 2025, the University of the South will host the 35th annual session of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Supported by Tennessee Williams and the Walter E. Dakin Memorial Fund, the Conference provides promising writers instruction through workshops and craft lectures in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and playwriting.

Although workshops are limited to Conference participants, lectures and readings are open to the public and free to attend. These events will be held in Guerry Auditorium on the corner of University Avenue and Georgia Avenue. Masking is required at all events.

The Conference will feature readings by fiction writers Venita Blackburn, Chris Bachelder, Kirstin Chen, Vanessa Hua, Holly Goddard Jones, R.O. Kwon, Leigh Newman, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Akhil Sharma, and Luis Alberto Urrea; poets Cortney Lamar Charleston, Tarfia Faizullah, Donika Kelly, Nate Marshall, A. E. Stallings, and Felicia Zamora; nonfiction writers Eula Biss, Jaquira Díaz, Melissa Febos, and Lacy M. Johnson; and playwrights Cusi Cram, Adrian Einspanier, Talene Monahon, and Jesús I. Valles.

Upcoming readings and lectures:

Tuesday, July 15, at 8:30 p.m., Luis Alberto Urrea & Melissa Febos, Fiction, Nonfiction Reading

Wednesday, July 16, at 2:30 p.m., Fellows: M. Datta, M. Ductan, R. Fayne, M. Fiedler, Fiction, Poetry, Fiction, Playwriting Reading

3:45 p.m., Talene Monahon Playwriting Lecture

7:30 p.m., Nate Marshall & Kirstin Valdez Quade, Poetry, Fiction Reading

Thursday, July 17, at 2:30 p.m., Staff: K. Kapur, C. Whitton, A. Farhadi, B. Antosh, Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Playwriting Reading

3:45 p.m., Holly Goddard Jones Fiction Lecture

7:30 p.m., Vanessa Hua & Jaquira Díaz, Fiction, Nonfiction Reading

Friday, July 18, at 2:30 p.m., Fellows: C. Juyoung Ok, T. Isen, S. Páramo, J. Zhang, Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Poetry, Fiction Reading

3:45 p.m., A.E. Stallings Poetry Lecture

7:30 p.m., Talene Monahon & R.O. Kwon, Playwriting, Fiction Reading

A complete Conference schedule can be found online at <sewaneewriters.org>. Authors’ books are available at the University Book & Supply Store.