Welcome to Writefest!
A Festival for Writers by Writespace
Writefest is a week-long writers' festival taking place virtually and in-person in Houston, TX. It is hosted by Writespace, Houston's grassroots nonprofit literary arts center. This year's festival kicks off with a Friday workshop and culminates in a weekend filled with panels, readings, workshops, and presentations by local and national writers, agents and book editors, and literary journal editors of all genres.
This year, all of our panels and workshops are VIRTUAL. We are hosting in-person free evening events.
This year, all of our panels and workshops are VIRTUAL. We are hosting in-person free evening events.
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We value new writers, and we want to support them. We value diversity, both that of writing and that of writers and readers. We dislike genre snobbery. Whether you identify as a literary writer, a genre writer, a writer who crosses genre boundaries or one who breaks them down, a writer of everything: we welcome you to Writefest, and we'll have something to offer you.
Writefest began in February 2016 and has grown due to the hard work of our dedicated volunteers. We've been lucky to play host to many talented writers, editors, and agents. At Writefest, you'll get to meet these editors and learn from them during a packed weekend of presentations, panels, mini workshops, critique sessions, and informal hangouts. You'll be learning not only about the craft of writing, but also about the world of literary journals and submissions practices. As well as helping connect writers with agents, Writefest will help participants learn about the industry, improve their craft, build community, and pursue thriving careers as authors.
Our festival is for you if...
... you've been feeling that maybe it's time to start submitting your work, but you're not sure where to start. What agents or journals are a good fit for you? Do you have to know somebody to get an acceptance? (Answer: nope.) And what in the world is Submittable? Or is it called Submishmash? What?
... you've started submitting to agents or literary journals, but you wish you had a better reference point for how you're doing. Are you sending out enough work? Too much? Are other people getting as many rejections? (Answer: most likely.)
...you've completed that first novel, and would love to talk to agents or book editors in person--and maybe even try a one-on-one pitch
... you're regularly submitting your work, and maybe you've had some acceptances, or maybe you haven't. Along the way, you've found some literary journals you really love, and you would be thrilled to meet their editors in person and learn from them. You'd also like to find more journals that are a good fit for your work.
... you're an experienced writer, maybe even a novelist, but you feel like you'd still like to learn a thing or two about lit journals and the art of writing short fiction/personal essays/poetry. Even with a novel sold, publishing shorter work is not a step back: short forms are an art unto themselves.
... you love reading journals and you would jump at the chance to have a bunch of them in the same room so you can hold them in your hands, leaf through them, and see what they're all about before buying them online. Oh, and get to chat with the editors while you do that.
Long story short: if you are a writer, you'll have a good time at our festival. Our programming is varied enough that you won't be bored, no matter your level of experience. And you’ll build industry connections that will serve you well as you pursue your dream.
Writefest began in February 2016 and has grown due to the hard work of our dedicated volunteers. We've been lucky to play host to many talented writers, editors, and agents. At Writefest, you'll get to meet these editors and learn from them during a packed weekend of presentations, panels, mini workshops, critique sessions, and informal hangouts. You'll be learning not only about the craft of writing, but also about the world of literary journals and submissions practices. As well as helping connect writers with agents, Writefest will help participants learn about the industry, improve their craft, build community, and pursue thriving careers as authors.
Our festival is for you if...
... you've been feeling that maybe it's time to start submitting your work, but you're not sure where to start. What agents or journals are a good fit for you? Do you have to know somebody to get an acceptance? (Answer: nope.) And what in the world is Submittable? Or is it called Submishmash? What?
... you've started submitting to agents or literary journals, but you wish you had a better reference point for how you're doing. Are you sending out enough work? Too much? Are other people getting as many rejections? (Answer: most likely.)
...you've completed that first novel, and would love to talk to agents or book editors in person--and maybe even try a one-on-one pitch
... you're regularly submitting your work, and maybe you've had some acceptances, or maybe you haven't. Along the way, you've found some literary journals you really love, and you would be thrilled to meet their editors in person and learn from them. You'd also like to find more journals that are a good fit for your work.
... you're an experienced writer, maybe even a novelist, but you feel like you'd still like to learn a thing or two about lit journals and the art of writing short fiction/personal essays/poetry. Even with a novel sold, publishing shorter work is not a step back: short forms are an art unto themselves.
... you love reading journals and you would jump at the chance to have a bunch of them in the same room so you can hold them in your hands, leaf through them, and see what they're all about before buying them online. Oh, and get to chat with the editors while you do that.
Long story short: if you are a writer, you'll have a good time at our festival. Our programming is varied enough that you won't be bored, no matter your level of experience. And you’ll build industry connections that will serve you well as you pursue your dream.
Kelly Luce and Ken Liu, Writefest 2017 Keynote Speakers
About Writespace
Writespace is a grassroots nonprofit creative writing center based in Houston, founded in April of 2014 by Elizabeth White-Olsen. We support writers of all genres, including writers of literary fiction, poetry, science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and other genres. We love genre crossers and boundary breakers. Through our weekly writing workshops led by some of Houston's finest writing teachers, we seek to give writers who don't have the time or means necessary for an MFA in Creative Writing the same high-quality training and mentorship opportunities available through MFA programs.
Aside from workshops, Writespace offers manuscript consultations, write-ins, open mics, and more. At Writespace, we plan to have such a positive impact on the local and the global writing community that great books will now be written that otherwise wouldn't have.
Aside from workshops, Writespace offers manuscript consultations, write-ins, open mics, and more. At Writespace, we plan to have such a positive impact on the local and the global writing community that great books will now be written that otherwise wouldn't have.
