The Sewanee Writers' Conference is a writers' conference held every summer on the campus of the University of the South in

Sewanee, Tennessee Sewanee () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,535 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Winchester, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area. Sewanee is best known as the home ...

. The conference was started in 1989 by founding director Wyatt Prunty and the current director is Leah Stewart. The conference is funded largely by an endowment from the estate of acclaimed American playwright

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

. The conference takes place over twelve days, during which participants attend writing workshops, readings, panel presentations, lectures on the craft of poetry, fiction, and playwriting, and numerous social gatherings.

Admission

Admission to the conference is competitive and is decided through a formal application process. All applicants who are accepted to the conference have a portion of their expenses underwritten by the estate of

. Poets, non-fiction, and fiction writers who have published at least one full-length book, whether through a legitimate small press or a major publishing house, are eligible to apply for a limited number of fellowships to cover all tuition, room, and board for the conference. Poets, non-fiction, and fiction writers with a record of publication in periodicals are eligible to apply for scholarships (also limited in number) to cover conference tuition. Playwrights are also eligible for these awards if their work has seen production, either professional or amateur. Publication or production is not required for general admission to the conference.

Faculty and staff

The faculty of the Sewanee Writers' Conference has included poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and playwrights such as Daniel Anderson, Richard Bausch, Venita Blackburn, John Casey, Jaquira Díaz, Claudia Emerson, Daisy Foote, B.H. Fairchild, Debora Greger, Barry Hannah,

Robert Hass Robert L. Hass (born March 1, 1941) is an American poet. He served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1995 to 1997. He won the 2007 National Book Award Beth Henley Elizabeth Becker Henley (born May 8, 1952) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Her play '' Crimes of the Heart'' won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 1981 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play, and ...

, Vanessa Hua, Andrew Hudgins, Mark Jarman, Donald Justice,

Randall Kenan Randall Kenan - American author (March 12, 1963 – August 28, 2020) best known for his novel ''A Visitation of Spirits'' and his collection of stories ''Let the Dead Bury Their Dead'' named a ''New York Times'' Notable Book in 1992, and ''The F ...

, Katie Kitamura, Margot Livesey, William Logan, Maurice Manning, Charles Martin, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Claire Messud, Jill McCorkle,

Alice McDermott Alice McDermott (born June 27, 1953) is an American writer and university professor. She is the author of nine novels and a collection of essays. For her 1998 novel '' Charming Billy'' she won an American Book Award and the U.S. National Book Aw ...

, Erin McGraw, Dan O'Brien, Elena Passarello,

Carl Phillips Carl Phillips (born 23 July 1959) is an American writer and poet. He is a professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis. In 2023, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his '' Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020.'' ...

, Aisha Sabatini Sloan, Mary Jo Salter, Christine Schutt, Dave Smith, A.E. Stallings, Mark Strand,

Mona Van Duyn Mona Jane Van Duyn (May 9, 1921 – December 2, 2004) was an American poet. She was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1992. Biography Early years Van Duyn was born May 9, 1921, in Waterloo, Iowa."Van Duyn, Mona (1921–2004)." '' Dictio ...

, Sidney Wade, Richard Wilbur, Steve Yarbrough, and many others. Current and former conference staff members include current director Leah Stewart, Caki Wilkinson, Megan Roberts, Adam Latham, Gwen E. Kirby, Amy Arthur, Erica Dawson, Samuel Fox, Juliana Gray, Ananda Lima, Daniel Groves, Jonathan Bohr Heinen, Hastings Hensel, Carrie Jerrell, Jake Ricafrente, Kate Jayroe, Norris Eppes, and Adam Vines.

References

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External links

Sewanee Writers' Conference

Sewanee: The University of the South

SWC on YouTube
American writers' organizations Events in Tennessee Franklin County, Tennessee Recurring events established in 1989 Sewanee: The University of the South Writers' conferences Sewanee, Tennessee