2020 Schedule coming soon! Check back in March.
A sample of our programming from 2019 is below:
* = Craft of Writing Class
+ = Business of Writing Class
^ = Free Talk/Signing/Panel
Friday, August 16th
6:30 PM
Opening Night Kick-Off^
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
Catherine Chung, author of The Tenth Muse, will discuss her creative process and sophomore novel with Tayla Burney.
Free event, with book signing to follow. Doors will open at 6:00 PM.
Reserve your seat at free panels by purchasing a festival ticket.
Saturday, August 17th
8:30 - 10:00 AM
Biscuit Breakfast + Fellows Reading
The Athenaeum, Courtyard
Join fellow writers and festival organizers in the garden of The Atheneum for coffee, breakfast, and hear our New Voices Fellows read from their scholarship-winning work.
Teaching Artists, Panelists, and Festival Sponsors and Donors please RSVP to allison@oldtownbooks.com
10:00 - 11:30 AM
Fiction Craft Intensive* (SOLD OUT)
Teaching Artist: Catherine Chung
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
A hands-on fiction writing intensive with author Catherine Chung.
Limited to 15 participants. Registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Breaking into Food Writing+
Teaching Artist: Cathy Barrow
ALX Community Center, Conference Room
What does it take to see your recipes and food stories in print? Join author Cathy Barrow for a look at the inner workings of the food writing world. Participants will get tips on everything from blogging to recipe testing, pitching outlets to cookbook proposals.
Limited to 15 participants. Priority registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
12:00- 1:00 PM
Against the Algorithm: Online book communities as resources for emerging writers^
Panelists: Lupita Aquino, Amanda Nelson, Kendra Winchester
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
This panel will explore how online book communities (aka the “Bookternet”) make space for discussion and discovery of new writing. How can writers best engage with these communities? And, how do these communities broaden the scope of what books get buzz, and which writers find readers online?
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first serve. Doors will open at 11:30 am. If you would like to reserve your seat, consider purchasing a festival ticket.
1:00-6:00 PM
Book Fair
Carlyle House, Magnolia Terrace
Join us for a book fair celebrating all things literary! Meet representatives from literary arts organizations, small and independent presses, and vendors selling hand-bound books, gifts, and more. Meet authors at the book fair during our Indie Press Reading Series!
1:00 - Nicole Steinberg, Barrelhouse
1:30 - Rion Amilcar Scott, Barrelhouse
2:00 - Tyrese Coleman, Mason Jar Press
2:30 - Randon Noble, University of Nebraska Press
3:00 - Poets for RAICES
4:30 - Story time and Singalong for kids of all ages
1:30 - 3:00 PM
Nonfiction Intensive*
Teaching Artist: Jeannie Vanasco
The Atheneaum, Lower Gallery
A hands-on nonfiction writing intensive with author Jeannie Vanasco.
Limited to 15 participants. Registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
1:30 - 3:00pm
Polish Your Pitch+ (SOLD OUT)
Teaching Artist: Jennifer Baker
ALX Community Center, Conference Room
Learn how to pitch editors at print and online outlets. Participants will workshop pitches for specific venues, get feedback, and leave with new writing.
Limited to 15 participants. Registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
3:30-6:30 PM
Publishing Masterclass
Instructor: Jane Friedman
ALX Community Center, Founder’s Hall
A three hour intensive on how books get written, agented, sold, and marketed to the traditional publishing world. Whether you’re aiming for the Big Five publisher or a smaller independent press, this masterclass will give aspiring writers a high level look at the business tools and know-how needed to get their book published.
Save your spot now! Priority registration for this class is included in the ticket bundle The Finished Manuscript ($250). Single tickets ($100) will be open for registration after July 5th, as space permits.
3:30 - 4:30 PM
Telling It Slant: Queer(ing) Poetic Form* (RESCHEDULED)
Teaching Artist: Malik K. Thompson
Hotel Indigo, Conference Room
In this workshop, participants will explore the works of both queer/trans* and cisgender/heterosexual poets who use experiment with form to enhance the impact of their message. Through readings, discussions, writing, and constructive criticism, participants will practice writing poems in unconventional forms. Authors whose works we will explore include Eduardo C. Corral, Taylor Johnson, Jean Valentine, and Ocean Vuong.
Limited to 15 participants. Registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
3:30 - 4:30 PM
Poetry in Motion: A yoga + poetry class for every-body
Instructors: Hope Hurlbrink, Kristen Zory King
Vikriya Lab
A beginner friendly yoga and poetry class to inspire and revive - join us for reading, writing, and movement. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a pen and notebook. Yoga mats provided.
This event is pay-what-you-can, with all proceeds going towards scholarship funding for our New Voices Fellowship. To reserve your spot and donate, sign up here.
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Essay Writing Workshop: After the Art*
Teaching Artist: Randon Noble
The Athenaeum, Lower Gallery
A generative workshop that uses the art at the Atheneum as inspiration for a reflective essay. Bring a pen, a notebook, your curiosity, and a sense of play. Leave with the start of a reflective essay as well as ideas about how to weave visual art into writing. Led by Randon Billings Noble, essayist and founding editor of the online literary magazine After the Art.
Limited to 15 participants. Registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Reading + Signing: Tope Folarin, A Particular Kind of Black Man^
Speakers: Tope Folarin and Carine Umuhumuza
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
Join award winning author Tope Folarin, in conversation with Carine Umuhumuza, about Folarin’s debut novel A Particular Kind of Black Man.
This event is free and open to the public, with a book signing to follow.
Reserve your seat now by purchasing a festival ticket or book bundle. Seating is first come, first serve. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Sunday, August 18th
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Working with an Editor^
Panelists: Laura Chasen, Jane Friedman, Michelle Koufopoulos
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
Curious about working with an editor? This panel takes a high level look at how writers and editors work together at various stages of the publishing process. Learn from experience on both sides - as editors with experience at St. Martin’s Press, Riverhead Books, and elsewhere.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first serve. Doors will open at 9:30 am. If you would like to reserve your seat, consider purchasing a festival ticket.
11:30 - 12:30 PM
Apply Yourself! How to write successful applications for grants and fellowships^
Panelists: Jennifer Baker, Hannah Bae, Kris Zory-King, Caits Meissner
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
Building a life as a writer is as much about the creative process as it is about the hustle; finding funding and residency opportunities are necessary to sustain your career -- but the skills needed for writing for craft and writing for funds are not created equal. This panel will teach you how to write successful grant, fellowship, and artistic residency applications to help keep you writing and build new opportunities for your writing career.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first serve. Doors will open at 11:00 am. If you would like to reserve your seat, consider purchasing a festival ticket.
1:30-3:00 PM
Writing the Personal Essay* (SOLD OUT)
Teaching Artist: Hannah Bae
The Athenaeum, Lower Gallery
A hands-on, generative writing intensive all about the personal essay. Come prepared to discover and dig in to the stories only you can tell. Leave with new writing and behind-the-scenes tips about pitching and publishing personal essays.
Limited to 15 participants. Registration is open first to festival ticket holders (July-August), with remaining seats available for one-off purchase if spots remain (August 1-15th).
For financial support apply for our New Voices Fellowship by July 21st.
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Social Media for Writers+ (SOLD OUT)
Teaching Artist: Kendra Winchester
ALX Community Center, Conference Room
Social media has created countless opportunities for writers to promote their work - but it can be scary to know where to begin! Learn how social media can be an effective marketing tool to help writers reach a broader audience and get the word out about their works.
4:00 - 5:30 PM
The Path to the Debut Novel+ (SOLD OUT)
Teaching Artist: Angie Kim
The Athenaeum, Lower Gallery
How long does it take to write a novel? When you’re done, where should you start with pitching agents? Once it’s published, should you expect to bootstrap your book tour, hire a PR person, or all of the above?
Publishing a debut novel is filled with twists and turns. Join author Angie Kim for an honest look at the long road to publication. Kim’s debut novel Miracle Creek is a Washington Post bestseller, and one of People magazine’s Best New Books.
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Reading + Signing: Kwame Onwuachi, Notes from a Young Black Chef^
The Athenaeum, Main Gallery
Join award winning chef Kwame Onwuachi for a discussion about food and storytelling moderated by Washington Post food writer Tim Carman, followed by a reading and signing of his new memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef.
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first serve. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. If you would like to reserve your seat, consider purchasing a festival ticket or book bundle.
Get your tickets today!
