You may know that, as of August 1, 2023, I have joined the crew running the show at Cascade Writers. It’s a wonderful small community of writers based in Washington state, but with a reach across the US and beyond.
They plan a small, friendly conference with hybrid options annually every July. Its focus? Deep critique and writing life concerns.
You join a tight-knit circle of writers guided by a professional writer, editor, or agent in Discord, swap work for review and feedback, then meet live (or in hybrid format online) to experience deep critique of your work following a supportive safe-space model.
What I like about this conference is that writers of all genres and literary sensibilities and at all levels of craft are welcome!
You’ll leave with an expanded writing community, personal connections, a support system in Discord, and more. Panel discussions between critique sessions cover the gamut. And there’s fun built into the event with evening activities right there along the Bremerton Arts District waterfront. The event takes place at Fairfield Inn and Suites, just a short walk off the Seattle-Bremerton ferry line.
2024’s current lineup includes Arley Sorg, Cat Rambo, Nancy Kress, Jack Skillingstead, Shiv Ramdas, with more pros in the works!
Rates go up January 1, 2024, so it’s time to save the date, mark your calendar, and register with the reduced rate.
I hope I’ll see you there!
As Poet Laureate of Bremerton, I have to ask if there is a poetry offering? I didn’t see any indication of one.
I had not heard of this group before, and I’m excited you’re coming to Bremerton!
We are putting together some poetry offerings for future events! The original workshop has always been a prose-centered event, but we are testing out some verse-forward options separately to see how they go. We would love to have a strong poetry track eventually at the conference. Stay tuned! We have had the same conference in Bremerton for a few years now. It’s really a great spot to hold an event! –Tamara
What specifically relates to people with disabilities? Anyone writing anthologies or short stories? Any LGBTQ presenters or content? Inclusive of spoken word, storytelling and performance?
Hi Marie, thanks for writing and my apologies for not getting back sooner. The Cascade web page would have probably been a better place to get a quicker answer, as I was away over the holiday.
At any rate, the venue is accessible and we operate on a mask required basis as well as offer a hybrid online format for those who find it more safe and comfortable to attend via Zoom. We are working on our lineup but are seeking people to present who are disabled, neurodiverse, or living with chronic illness. (I am ND and have MS, so this is an important part of my goal on the board.)
We are not yet done with our planning but presenters from the LGBTQAI+ communities are also a big part of our search, as are presenters who are BIPOC, AAPI etc.
The one area where we are not fully focused is in the arena of poetry, but we plan to have a one-day event this April to introduce poetry, and that will include two female presenters and an indigenous presenter, so if that is of interest, stay tuned. I’ll be posting more about that once we have the details firm.
As for who is writing what at the summer workshop, by and large these are fiction writers either with short stories or novel chapters to workshop, with an occasional memoir or nonfiction writer.
I am still relatively new to the board but this is what I can tell you for now. We have a board meeting later in January that should solidify much of the rest of our lineup and the discussion of diverse presenters and topics will be part of that conversation.
I hope this answers your questions. Best wishes and Happy New Year! Tamara