Books-in-Progress Conference

Carnegie Center’s 2022 Books-in-Progress Conference will be held in Lexington, KY on June 4-5 and in person, with an optional pre-conference session and a welcome reception on June 3. New York Times Bestseller Gwenda Bond, widely known for her YA Lois Lane series and official Stranger Things prequel novel Suspicious Minds will keynote. Immerse yourself in craft workshops led by top writers, editors, and writing professionals. Topics include fiction, nonfiction, YA, publishing, revision, and more. The following optional add-ons are available at an additional cost:

1. Virtual one-on-one pitches with literary agents Erin Clyburn and Eric Smith 
2. Pre-conference retreat with R Dean Johnson (Bluegrass Writers Studio)
3. Post-conference writing retreat with Jennifer Mattox and Z Jackson 

REGULAR CONFERENCE RATE: $195/ $175 students

SCHOLARSHIPS: A limited amount of full scholarships will be available to members of the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative. Please contact Claudia Love Mair to inquire about scholarships for Black writers.

This year’s speakers and presenters include R Dean Johnson, Alice Speilburg (of the Speilburg Literary Agency), Leatha Kendrick, Z. Knight, Tiffany Reisz, Ashley Blooms, Elizabeth Kilcoyne, Sheila Williams, Julia Royston, Tracee de Hahn, David Domine, and more!

The Books-in-Progress Conference is sponsored by Kentucky Arts Council, LexArts, National Endowment for the Arts, Spalding MFA in Writing, Reitzel Cook, National Society of Arts and Letters, Lexington Writer’s Room, and WUKY.