Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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I'm sad not to be attending the Associated Writers and Writing Programs Conference (AWP) in Seattle this year. The one year its held in a semi-warm place is the one year I am not going!! 
Anybody out there going? Chime in if so! I will live vicariously through you!
Lucy Silag
Book Country Community and Engagement Manager
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Joined: 12/1/2013
Posts: 1
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Happy Saturday Lucy, I am still very new to Book Country and writing my memoirs. Could you please tell me more on AWP and writing conferences. What do you do there? What is expected of me? Do you know of any conferences coming up in Houston Texas?
Thank you, Susan Voll
("The Memoirs of a Married Women)
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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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Hi Susan! Happy Monday to you!
AWP is a massive writing conference that is held every year in a different city. This year it is in Seattle and they expect 12,000 writers to be there! Of all the writing conferences I have been to or know about, it's definitely the most academic. In fact, that's probably why it is so large: Writers of all levels can find relevant programming, because there are panels for students, teachers, and "lay" writers unaffiliated with a university writing program. Large groups from colleges all over the world come to the conference. The genres best represented at this conference are Literary Fiction, Memoir, Narrative Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Women's Fiction. In the past few years they have added a lot of YA content as well.
I do not know of any conferences in Houston off the top of my head, but I do know that the University of Houston has a fabulous writing program. If you are looking for literary events in Houston, I would start on their website, though it doesn't look as though it's been updated in a while. Perhaps try calling or emailing them and see if they have a newsletter they could send you?
I know Austin isn't super close to Houston, but one literary event I would recommend to you if you can take the trip is to go to the Texas Book Festival, which is held in the Texas State Capitol every year. I've been to this festival twice, and though it's not just for writers (also for readers), the programming is top notch, and the Q&As are always full of great writing advice. That festival usually happens the last week in October.
If you come across any events in your area, please do share them on this discussion board!
Lucy
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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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My friend Arna wrote about the AWP Conference for the Book Country blog last week, too. He explains why the conference has been such an important part of his growth as a writer and a reader.
LS
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