AWP Is This Week! Here’s How To Make The Most Of It.

by | Mar 2, 2020 | Blog, Literary Scene

Happy Monday, friends! It’s the first full week of March, which for 2020 means it’s time for AWP.

“AWP” stands for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, and it hosts an annual writers’ conference, referred simply to as AWP. It’s a massive conference, one that many find to be overwhelming, but it’s the one truly extroverted event that this particular introvert loves and thrives on.

Unfortunately for me, I will not be able to attend the 2020 event in San Antonio, Texas, but I have a lot of great tips for those who are attending for the first time, or who haven’t attended in a long time.

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing a few of my top choices and recommendations for:

  • panels you might consider attending,
  • some tables at the book fair you’ll want to visit, including a few that are hosting some awesome book signings,
  • new books you may want to pick up, and
  • off-site readings you for sure don’t want to miss.

Though this will be a lot of fun to post about, I do have a State of Emergency sidenote:

AWP 2020 has been impacted by the advancement of the coronavirus and the State of Emergency that was issued by Mayor of San Antonio, where the conference is to be held. Though AWP is still on, some panelists and publications at the book fair will not be attending, and some readings may be canceled or considerably smaller than originally planned. As far as I know, the recommendations I have for you have not been impacted, and everyone involved in these recommendations is still attending, but it may be a little too soon to tell. (Also, I wholly recommend attending only if you take the necessary precautions to stay safe, well, and to prevent to spread of unnecessary germs.)

That’s it for tonight! Tomorrow (Tuesday), I’ll share some tips for navigating that crazy-long schedule of panels and on-site readings, and I’ll give you my recommendations for what not to miss.

On Wednesday, I’ll give you some tips on all-things bookfair, as well as books you may want to consider purchasing, and how best to get those books home, so you don’t cut your car’s gas mileage in half (like me).

Finally, on Thursday morning, I’ll share with you all the off-site readings I would love to attend, which will take place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and possibly Sunday nights.

Thanks, all! Though I wish I could be at the conference in-person, writing about it is the next best thing, and I’m grateful to have some readers out there who are ready to read and geek out over this extremely extroverted thing with me. More soon!