July 16th-22nd, 2023
6 nights. 5 days. 20 faculty. 40 workshops. 80 hours of live-streamed and in-person instruction. Robust Fellowships and Scholarships available. Tuition starts at only $250.
Since 1974, Centrum’s Writing Programs have brought together aspiring and master artists to ignite creativity, find and provide mentorship, and build community. The Port Townsend Writers Conference offers a week of generative, craft-centered workshops, lectures and intensives in a supportive and inclusive environment, designed to deprivilege the literary art form and serve the wealth of diverse voices from across our nation.
In 2023, Centrum’s writing programs will offer participants vital support for the creation and revision of new and existing work from PTWC Artistic Curator Gary Copeland Lilley and award-winning faculty (listed alphabetically) Kim Addonizio, Quenton Baker, Elizabeth Colen, Alice Derry, Melissa Febos, CMarie Fuhrman, Tess Gallagher, Derrick Harriell, Arna Bontemps Hemenway, Brandon Hobson, Ravi Howard, Jourdan Imani Keith, Sasha LaPointe, Sam Ligon, Sebastian Matthews, Rena Priest, Anna Quinn, Laura Read, Anastacia Reneé, Shawn Vestal, and Kristen Millares Young.
Located at the shoreline of the Puget Sound, in-person writers have access to acres of forested hiking and beach trails, historic sites and the beautiful Victorian seaport of Port Townsend, Wa.
Overview
Morning Intensives: In-person participants register for a Morning Intensive in poetry, fiction or nonfiction with a faculty member of their choice. Meeting for two and half hours each morning over the course of 5 days, these workshops are designed for writers who wish to ignite their creativity and challenge themselves.
Afternoons at PTWC: Afternoon workshops, craft lectures, open-mics and readings are open for both in-person AND online participation. Faculty offer lectures on literary writing and craft-focused workshops, all of which are recorded and available for multiple viewings by participants for up to one month post-conference.
Evenings at PTWC: Each evening Centrum hosts a PTWC Faculty Reading followed by Q&A. These readings are free, open to the public and are live-streamed on the Centrum website. (Please note, all Centrum events have strict vaccination and mask rules to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, participants and faculty.
Tuition:
PTWC Conference w/ Morning intensive $950
PTWC Conference Afternoons $550
PTWC Conference Online $250
We offer a range of fellowships and scholarships to participants of all ages, ethnicities, gender identities and orientations. Our Diversity Scholarships aim to alleviate the financial need of groups who have been historically underrepresented at the conference.
Staying at Fort Worden: For those attending the PTWC Conference In-Person, on-site meals and accommodations are available, but are limited. Please consider registering early.
Rates for your stay begin at $650. Add-on a full meal plan for $350. For those looking to stay off campus, there are Fort Worden campsites and Port Townsend hotels, motels, vacation rentals available. Early reservations are recommended.
SCHEDULE
9-11:30am PT Morning Intensives for in-person registrants
These workshops occur on campus at Fort Worden State Park and do not have a hybrid or online component.
1-1:50pm PT Afternoon Craft Lectures
Craft lectures occur on campus at Fort Worden State Park and are also broadcast to an online audience. Craft lectures are recorded and maintained for viewing for all participants for up to 4 weeks post the event, after which the recording will be deleted from our archives.
2-5:pm PT Afternoon Workshops
Afternoon workshops occur on campus at Fort Worden State Park and are also broadcast to an online audience. Afternoon workshops are recorded and maintained for viewing for all participants for up to 4 weeks post the event, after which the recording will be deleted from our archives.
7:pm PT Faculty Reading followed by Q&A
All faculty readings at the PTWC are free and open to the public. We encourage all participants to come to the readings and to invite anyone they think might enjoy it. Readings occur on campus at Fort Worden State Park and are also live-streamed on the Centrum website.