Napa Valley Writers’ Conference

Longtime Napa Valley Writers' Conference faculty member Lan Samantha Chang publishes the novel we've been hearing in installments each summer! (Thank you, Sam, for the shout-out in your acknowledgements.) Enjoy this interview with writer Meredith Maran. THE FAMILY CHAO is published tomorrow on Lunar New Year, and Sam reads at Napa Bookmine (virtual) and Readers' Books of Sonoma (in person) next month! https://wapo.st/3IR4L8T

The Eavan Boland Emerging Poet Award will be given to two emerging poets, one from Ireland, one from the US. Niamh O'Donnell of Poetry Ireland says: "Eavan always argued that space for new voices must be made, and diversity in all its forms must be cherished, so we at Poetry Ireland are delighted that this award represents these values so well." Note that evidence of applicants' "demonstrated commitment to writing poetry" can include publications, but also performances and courses or workshops taken (such as the workshops at Napa, where we were honored to have Eavan teach). Applications close on November 5 (effectively Nov. 4 for those in the US).

Great opportunity to study at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown (remotely).

We were thrilled to hear that our faculty member, CAMILLE T. DUNGY has received the ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS FELLOWSHIP. Established in 1936 and given in memory of James Ingram Merrill, with generous support from the T. S. Eliot Foundation, this prize recognizes distinguished poetic achievement and carries with it a stipend of $25,000 and a residency at the Eliot summer home in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Fellows are nominated and elected by a majority vote of the Academy’s ...Continue reading

Thanks for a wonderful 40th anniversary in 2021! We are finalizing the dates for next year in Napa, so stay tuned!

The latest accolades for 2021 poetry faculty member Victoria Chang's most recent collection, OBIT, include the Los Angeles Times Book Award and a place on the shortlist for the Griffin International Poetry Prize! You can read Victoria in conversation with Dean Rader at the Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB) here, as they discuss G. C. Waldrep's latest poetry collection. https://lareviewofbooks.org//two-roads-a-review-in-dialo/

Join us this summer at the Napa Valley Writers' Conference, Aug 1-6, for a workshop in poetry translation led by Robert Hass! http://www.napawritersconference.org/the-workshops/

Photographer, writer, and conference participant Tim Carl took this mid-Valley photo yesterday. Come see for yourself at the conference Aug 1-6!

Curious about our plans to hold an in-person conference this year? Read about our move to the main Napa Valley College campus in Napa, August 1-6, 2021. Applications are due May 3.

Applications are now open for the 40th Napa Valley Writers' Conference, to take place August 1-6, 2021.

Excited to share that past poetry participant Amanda Moore's collection Requeening was chosen by Ocean Vuong and will be published by Ecco Press in the National Poetry Series. Congratulations!!!! https://nationalpoetryseries.org/announcing-the-2020-natio/

Read this thoughtful essay remembering Eavan Boland from poetry program director Nan Cohen.

Longtime Napa faculty member Jane Hirshfield will read on Sunday, October 11, at 3 PM Alaska time (4 PM Pacific) with Yusef Komunyakaa and Naomi Shihab Nye in the Alaska Quarterly Review Benefit Reading Series!

Poetry Director Iris Dunkle has a new book out about Charmian Kittredge Londondon’t miss her online launch event!

Conference director Angela Pneuman will be in conversation with Devi S. Laskar and Yangsze Choo this Wednesday at a Napa Valley Bookfest event sponsored by local bookseller, Bookmine.