2025 Washington Writers Conference Panels & Workshops
(Return to the main page here and download the conference program here.)
PANELS
Debut Authors: How They Did It
Varun Gauri, For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus: A Novel
Liza Achilles, Two Novembers: A Memoir of Love ‘n’ Sex in Sonnets
Karen Outen, Dixon Descending: A Novel
Jeffrey Dale Lofton, Red Clay Suzie: A Novel Inspired by True Events
Moderator: Ginnie Hartman, The Marsh Queen: A Novel
Four very different narratives, but all leading to a first book: A tale in verse about falling in love with one’s physical therapist (Liza Achilles, Two Novembers: A Memoir of Love ‘n’ Sex in Sonnets). A novel about a globetrotting woman who accepts an arranged marriage to a small-town politician (Varun Gauri, For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus). A fictionalized memoir written through the lens of being gay and living with a disability in a conservative Southern family (Jeffrey Dale Lofton, Red Clay Suzie). The story of two brothers who aspire to be the first Black American men to summit Mount Everest (Karen Outen, Dixon Descending: A Novel). Virginia (Ginnie) Hartman — whose much-translated novel The Marsh Queen has been compared to Where the Crawdads Sing — will moderate as these debut authors tell their success stories.
What Do (Local) Editors Want? Maybe Just What You’re Writing
Kelsea Johnson, Stirred Stories
Kathryn Fay, Modern Artist Press
Andrew Bertaina, Night Ginkgo Press
Zach Powers, Poet Lore
Moderator: Caroline Bock, Washington Writers’ Publishing House
Viewed from the outside, the realm of publishing can be confounding. Hear the experts explain what grabs their interest. Kelsea Johnson is the co-founder of indie publishing house Stirred Stories, which has been recognized for its diverse collection of books. Kathryn Fay is the publisher of Modern Artist Press, which she founded recently to give a voice to literary fiction. Andrew Bertaina runs the 804 Lit Salon in Washington, DC, and is an editor for Night Ginkgo Press. And moderator Caroline Bock is co-president and editor of Washington Writers’ Publishing House and the author of the forthcoming novel The Other Beautiful People, among other works. Her books have been published by both “Big Five” publishers (St. Martin’s Press) and local, independent presses.
Telling the Untold Tale: Finding Your Niche in Historical Fiction
Tim Wendel, Rebel Falls: A Novel
Louis Bayard, The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts
Lauren Francis-Sharma, Casualties of Truth: A Novel
Moderator: Aaron Hamburger, Hotel Cuba: A Novel
Aaron Hamburger guides this discussion about mining the past for fictional treasure. His recent novel Hotel Cuba follows the plight of two Jewish sisters who flee the Soviet revolution only to be trapped in 1920s Havana. Among Louis Bayard’s numerous bestselling historical novels are The Pale Blue Eye, now a Netflix motion picture starring Christian Bale, and his most recent work, The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts. The latest fiction by critically acclaimed author Lauren Francis-Sharma, Casualties of Truth, was inspired by her attendance at South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Amnesty Hearings. Rebel Falls — Tim Wendel’s new novel based on an incident from 1864 — tells of a daring young woman drafted by the U.S. secretary of state to infiltrate and foil Confederate agents gathering at Niagara Falls.
Deconstructing the Book: An Author, Editor, Agent, and Publisher Talk About What Sells
Max Sinsheimer, an agent at Sinsheimer Literary
Melanie D.G. Kaplan, Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research
Tina Pohlman, independent editor and former agent and publisher
Moderator: Hannah Grieco, Alan Squire Publishing
Don’t rely on a crystal ball — get advice from this savvy team of professionals about selling your book or article. Independent journalist Melanie D.G. Kaplan, who writes for the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and many others, is also author of the forthcoming book on animal research, Lab Dog. First an editor and publisher, then an agent, and now an independent editor, writing coach, and publishing consultant, Tina Pohlman has worked extensively with acclaimed fiction and nonfiction writers. Moderating the discussion is writer and editor Hannah Grieco, whose anthology Already Gone: 40 Stories of Running Away was recently released by Alan Squire Publishing.
Nonfiction Authors Share Their Stories
Daniel de Visé, The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic
Eric Dezenhall, Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals They Made
Brigid Schulte, Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life
Moderator: Dine Watson, Transplant: A Memoir
Hear how these talented authors tackled their recent nonfiction projects. Leading the conversation is Bernadine (Dine) Watson, a poet and journalist whose memoir, Transplant, won the 2023 Washington Writers’ Publishing House prize for nonfiction. Among his five books, Daniel de Visé’s latest is The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic. Eric Dezenhall is an award-winning author of 12 books of fiction and nonfiction, including Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals They Made. Renowned journalist and speaker Brigid Schulte undertook years of economic and cultural research for her recent book Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life.
Writing Across Genres
Indran Amirthanayagam, Seer
Debbie Levy, A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in School
Nevin Martell, Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip
Moderator: David Ebenbach, Possible Happiness
Some writers stick to a single genre, while others move easily from fiction to nonfiction, poetry to prose. How do writers gifted at more than one genre choose the most suitable form for the story they want to tell? Moderating this discussion is Georgetown faculty member David Ebenbach, author of nine works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, plus the acclaimed new novel Possible Happiness. A musician and prolific poet whose recent volume is Seer, Indran Amirthanayagam writes and translates in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. First an editor and a lawyer, Debbie Levy then turned to writing and has authored more than 30 books for young people, including her New York Times bestselling story about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, I Dissent. Writer-photographer Nevin Martell has published eight books, including Red Truck Bakery Cookbook and Freak Show Without a Tent, a travelogue-memoir inspired by family vacations.
When Your Life Is the Story: Personal Essays and Memoir
Christine Koubek Flynn, essayist and Writer’s Center workshop leader
Randon Billings Noble, A Harp in the Stars: An Anthology of Lyric Essays
Laura Oliver, The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers
Moderator: Fernando Manibog, essayist
Writing about personal experiences can be quite challenging. Fernando Manibog is a memoirist and essayist who left a career as an energy economist to pursue his love of writing. He’ll moderate a discussion about delving into one’s own life for creative inspiration. Christine Koubek Flynn’s award-winning essays have appeared in the Washington Post, Electric Literature, Chautauqua, and Bethesda magazine, among others. Essayist Randon Billings Noble has published two collections with a university press and other works with the New York Times, Brevity, Creative Nonfiction, and elsewhere. Laura J. Oliver is an award-winning developmental story editor, workshop facilitator, and writing mentor whose book The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers has been reprinted eight times.
How to Find Grants, Scholarships, Residencies
Laura Weiss, Maryland State Arts Council
Melanie Figg, poet, teacher, coach, frequent grant recipient
Trudy Hale, writer, teacher and head of the writers’ retreat the Porches
Moderator: Dave Housley, editor-at-large, Barrelhouse Magazine
Searching for financial assistance for a project, a quiet place to complete your rough draft, or feedback and the fellowship of other writers? Novelist Dave Housley, a founding editor at Barrelhouse magazine and primary organizer of its writing conference, moderates this discussion about securing support and finding community. Melanie Figg is a poet, teacher, and writing coach who has secured numerous grants and competitive residencies for her own creative work and that of many others. Trudy Hale — poet, teacher, and editor-in-chief of Streetlight Magazine — turned a renovated Virginia farmhouse into the Porches, a retreat for artists of all stripes. After earning a music degree from Catholic University and holding multiple positions at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Laura Weiss joined the Maryland State Arts Council as program director for arts services in 2019.
WORKSHOPS
Polish or Perish: Revising Your Novel. How to Know When It’s Done.
Popular speaker and Writer’s Center workshop leader Kathryn Johnson shares wisdom on turning a rough draft into a compelling manuscript. Also writing as Mary Hart Perry and Nicole Davison, she has authored over 40 novels with HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, MacMillan, and other traditional publishers. She is CEO and founder of WriteByYou.com, a writers’ coaching and editorial service. Her most recent book is The Extreme Novelist: The No-Time-to-Write Method for Drafting Your Novel in 8 Weeks, based on her live Zoom course.
You’ve Written It...Now What?: How to Publicize Your Book.
Whether you’re self-published or are working with a traditional or hybrid press, that’s only the start. Given all the new books vying for readers’ attention each year, it takes a strategic marketing effort to get yours noticed. In this workshop, Emily Barrosse, former McGraw-Hill editor-in-chief and founder and CEO of Bold Story Press, will walk through how to use the publication calendar to your best advantage, ensure your book is getting noticed ahead of publication, and make the most of your launch.
