The Southampton Writers Conference — which over the years has featured a host of literary luminaries, including several Stony Brook University faculty — will celebrate its 50th summer July 9-13 on the campus of Stony Brook Southampton.
The conference is offered as five immersive days of high-level workshops, lectures and panel discussions led by acclaimed authors, editors and industry professionals. Applicants must apply and be accepted into the program. The deadline for the workshops and Children’s Literature Conference is April 15. Workshop space is limited.
Award-winning workshop leaders will include Billy Collins (poetry), Carmen Giménez (poetry), Chloé Cooper Jones (memoir), Matthew Kam (fiction/nonfiction), Kekla Magoon (middle grade/young adult), Lincoln Michel (speculative fiction), Lesléa Newman (picture book), Frederic Tuten (short story) and Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi (novel).
“I’m so excited about the workshop leaders this summer,” said Christian McLean, director, Southampton Writers Conference and associate director, MFA in Creative Writing. “It is an incredible program with a distinguished history, and a thriving future. The 50th annual conference should be one of our best.”
Participants can hone their craft in fiction, poetry, memoir, children’s lit and more. In and out of the classroom, the 2025 workshops will be made up of small and intimate groups of 12-13 participants and designed for talented writers looking to take their craft to the next levels. Attendees will meet with the same group every day to help foster strong relationships and provide insights to co-attendees’ work. On-campus housing will be provided for those accepted into the program.
There will also be a lecture series that will feature afternoon programming, salons, evening readings and social gatherings throughout the five days, including talks and craft lectures by Carmen Giménez, Chloé Cooper Jones and Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi. Night readings will be by Billy Collins, Matthew Klam, Susan Scarf Merrell, Carmen Giménez, Chloé Cooper Jones, Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi, Meg Wolitzer and others. Those who are accepted into the Southampton Writers Conference can attend this series.
In addition, commuters can also apply and be accepted to only attend the lecture series. The conference will culminate with a Saturday night performance from Manhattan-based “Selected Shorts,” featuring top-rate actors reading top-rate fiction.
Among the literary talent that has participated in the Southampton Writers Conference since its founding include Joyce Carol Oates, James Baldwin, E.L. Doctorow, Tom Wolfe, Elizabeth Strout, Mark Doty, Melissa Bank and Colson Whitehead.
In recent years, regular faculty Meg Wolitzer, Billy Collins and Matthew Klam have been joined by such masters as Vijay Seshadri, Terrance Hayes, Natalie Diaz, Sharon Olds, Lauren Groff, Brit Bennett, Marisa Silver, Alexander Chee, Amy Hempel, Julia Phillips and Jericho Brown.
The cost to attend the Southampton Writers Conference is $1,595 with housing costs of $67.50 per person, per night for a double room (shared) or $82.75 per night for a single room. Meals cost $250 for all meals. The lecture series costs $150. Apply online.
Happy to see the Southampton Writer’s Conference still doing what they do best. It was touch and go for a few years, between LIU jettisoning us, to Stony Brook University throwing us a life line. Some of the best experiences of my life were on that campus. I hope the conference continues, ad infinitum. Good to see your old Irish mug, Billy. Be well, Christian. Great job.