The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference celebrates its 36th year this July 30th through August 1st, welcoming esteemed faculty in the literary field across ten creative writing genres.
The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference, founded in 1990, is a vibrant, annual gathering that offers Morning Workshops in a wide range of genres to the Mendocino region and beyond. Afternoons are packed with craft seminars, panels, one-on-one consultations, and open mics; and every evening offers an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie and connection that make this
conference, in the words of one participant, “life changing.” The conference is open to writers of all levels.
General registration is now closed, however community members can still participate in the conference by attending evening faculty readings that are free and open to the public, or by purchasing an afternoon pass to attend afternoon events.
Experience the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference with an Afternoon Seminar Pass that grants you access to all afternoon events for the entire three-day conference at MCWC 2026. For $175, you can attend all afternoon seminars. Single-day passes are also available. A complete list of the conference afternoon programming is below. All events are held at Mendocino K-8 School. Thursday and Friday evening readings are held at Crown Hall in Mendocino.
Thursday, July 30, 2026
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Paths to Publishing
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Existential Stakes: What Your Story Is Big-A About with Laura Warrell
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Demystifying the Publishing Process with Anna Ghosh
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Frame of My Frame: Ekphrastic Poetry with Nefertiti Asanti
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Pitch Panel
6:30 pm – Join us for readings by MCWC 2026 faculty Susanna Kwan, Jeanne Thornton, Dan
Lopez, Syr Beker, Roberto Lovato, and Lisa Lee.
Friday, July 31, 2026
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Open Mic
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: The Story of Weather with Susanna Kwan
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: BOOM! Revision for Pantsers (and everyone else) with Syr Beker
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Editing Seminar with Dan López
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: NEW for 2026 Guided Nature Walk
7:00 pm – Join us for readings by MCWC 2026 faculty Lauren Markham, Nick Jaina, Emily
Lloyd Jones, Tara Sim, Nefertiti Asanti, and Laura Warrell!
Saturday, August 1, 2026
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Open Mic
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Landscape as Collaborator: Writing With the World Around Us with
Lauren Markham
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Grief Workshop with Nick Jaina
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Anonymous Critique
Visit https://mcwc.org/afternoonpass to purchase an afternoon pass.
Visit https://mcwc.org/ to learn more about the conference.
