The Washington Independent Review of Books will hold its fifth annual writers conference Friday night and Saturday, April 28-29, 2017, and we hope you’ll join us for what promises to be our best event yet. Here are just a few of the reasons you won’t want to miss it:

1. Agents, agents, agents. The Washington Writers Conference has earned its reputation as the premier event for agent access. Included in your registration fee is the opportunity to meet one-on-one with up to three agents to pitch your fiction or nonfiction project. One of our veteran agents has signed five authors from our previous conferences and scored book deals for all of them. Will you be one of our 2017 success stories?


2. Panels packed with world-class authors and experts. You may come for the agents, but you’ll be hooked by the collective expertise of our panelists. From DC-based novelist Susan Coll in conversation with Washington Post Book World fiction editor Ron Charles, to a keynote address from writing legend Judith Viorst, you’ll learn from the best. Local indie gem Upshur Street Books will once again handle our onsite bookstore, and many of our authors would love to sign their works for you.


3. A beautiful, spacious new venue. We needed to find a larger space after bursting at the seams last year, so welcome to our new location at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in College Park, MD! You’ll love all the elbow room, the cutting-edge amenities, and the beautifully appointed, art-filled spaces.


4. Free parking and free Wi-Fi. Last year’s attendees, we heard you! Another great benefit of the new venue is free garage parking just steps from the conference center’s front door, and free Wi-Fi throughout the facility.


5. New this year: conference tote bags. Show your lit cred when you carry your Books Alive! tote — the must-have collectible of the spring season. The only place to get one is at the conference, so don’t miss out!

Early-bird registration opens soon; stay tuned for details!

Jennifer Bort Yacovissi is chair of the 2017 Books Alive! Washington Writers Conference. Her debut novel, Up the Hill to Home, was published in 2015.

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