Students come from almost every part of the U.S. and internationally. They join us from both public and private high schools. Some have had extensive training in creative writing and some have not. What all these wonderful students have in common is a passion for writing and a willingness to work hard at it for two weeks, refining their craft and helping others do the same. And where do they go from here? Back to their high schools, where they almost always find themselves more confident and committed writers and students. And then they go on to colleges like Columbia, Sarah Lawrence, Middlebury, and Yale. Many matriculate at Sewanee, where they are eligible for the Dakin Scholarship, awarded to a participant in the SYWC. Some have gone on to publish their work in regional and national magazines, or to start their own literary journals. They work as Hollywood screenwriters, magazine editors, and English teachers at every level. Another thing these students share? They look back at their experience at the SYWC as valuable and transforming, both in the classroom and out: the source of lasting friendships and happy memories.

hear from sywc faculty, staff, and guests

Kevin Wilson

Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of the Certificate in Creative Writing at the University of the South, and author of award-winning collections of short stories--Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, and Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine--and four award-winning novels: The Family Fang, Perfect Little World, Nothing to See Here, and Now is Not the Time to Panic.

My relationship with the Sewanee Young Writers' Conference began in 1999, when I served as a counselor, and my immediate response was the same as it is now, when I'm lucky enough to be a guest reader for the conference: I so badly wish there had been something like this when I was a teenager. I cannot overstate how amazing the conference is, the way it challenges and encourages young writers to develop their own voice, to learn the craft of writing, and to be surrounded by other young people who truly love the creative process. Every year that I've read at the conference, a Q&A follows with the students, and I'm struck by how thoughtful these kids are, how dedicated to writing and reading. When I've been lucky enough to work with students from the conference after they've enrolled at Sewanee, they have consistently been some of the very best students in the class. I believe that the Sewanee Young Writers' Conference prepares these kids for what comes next, and it allows them to develop the skills that they'll continue in college. 

 

David George Haskell

Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of the South, and author of the award-winning The Forest Unseen, The Songs of Trees, and Sounds Wild and Broken.

What a delight is it to gather with other lovers of narrative, aficionados of metaphor, and sommeliers of verbs. Here is a community that welcomes those of us that revel, puzzle, and toil amid the tangle and thrum of words. At the Sewanee Young Writers' Conference, we do this both in the lecture hall and in the woods, in the human community and in the wider community of life. I know of no other place where an intense, joyful focus on the craft of writing takes place in such ecologically rich and diverse environs.

 

Lucy Alibar

Screenwriter and Playwright, best known for the Oscar-nominated screenplay of the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild.

The Sewanee Young Writer's Conference gave me the idea of what a writer's life could be.  I got to see first hand the hard work that it takes to better your craft, the difference a community makes as you develop your first drafts, the joy that comes from surrounding yourself with talented peers.  It was an incredible opportunity that I was so fortunate to have.

Amy Arthur

Development Manager at Rebuilding Together, San Francisco

When I arrived in Sewanee in 2004, a shy teenager with a deep love for words, I had no idea how big a role the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference would play in my life. Those two weeks were fun, challenging, and inspiring. More importantly, they set me on a path that led to an undergraduate degree in English from Sewanee. Over the years I experienced the conference from many perspectives: as a student, then dorm counselor, then conference coordinator, and finally as the conference summer director. In each role, I always felt so lucky to be surrounded by people who loved writing as much as I, who challenged me to continue growing and reminded me that ours is a big, crazy, beautiful community. When you attend the Young Writers’ Conference, you become a part of something much bigger than yourself—a long tradition of writers gathering on the Mountain to share their love of all things literary. I can’t think of any better way to spend a summer.

Justin Quarry

Former Teacher at SYWC

The students in my workshop at the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference possessed a commitment to, a passion for the written word that is rare to find even among undergraduates at colleges and universities. Over the course of our two weeks together, we played a number of writing-related games, but we spent most of our time reading and discussing contemporary short stories in conjunction with essays on the craft of fiction, as well as completing warm-up exercises and writing assignments meant either to spur the completed story with which every student left the conference or to equip him or her with an arsenal of writing strategies for the year to come. In addition, my students skillfully analyzed and conscientiously critiqued each other’s fiction, both aloud and in writing, and as a group we created an atmosphere hospitable to a variety of writing styles and a wide range of subject matter—from the exotic (a girl who wakes up to discover she has wings) to the familiar (a girl whose life is destroyed by a Facebook post)—the only demand being that student stories, as all literary fiction, first and foremost should be driven by the longings of the human heart. It is easy to say that its lush, mountainous setting is what sets this conference apart from the rest—and there is truth to that—but what I think makes it most special is the convivial, inspirational, supportive environment first fostered by the faculty and staff and soon generated by the students themselves. Here, young writers find the kind of artistic peer community that most writers don’t come upon—that I didn’t come upon—until much later in life.

 

Elizabeth Wetmore

Former Teacher at SYWC

There is so much to commend the Sewanee Young Writers Conference to young writers--a faculty of committed writers and playwrights, dedicated dorm counselors, starry nights and lovely sunsets atop the Cumberland Plateau. But what really sets Sewanee apart are the enormously gifted young writers who find their way to the conference. At Sewanee, writers from all over the country forge communities of their peers that they will carry with them long after the summer is over. Here is a place where a writer can challenge her assumptions about the world and her place in it, where making art matters more than just about anything else, and where a community of young writers work together to become practicing, dedicated artists and thinkers.

Chris Hale

Former Teacher at SYWC

Teaching at the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference is a uniquely rewarding experience.  The students, from all over the country (and some far-flung places around the globe) bring a heady mix of energy, concentration and curiosity into the classroom.  We read and wrote every day; we laughed at each other’s jokes, cheered the insights we discovered together, and challenged each other to exceed what seemed barely possible the day before. The other faculty and guest readers are fantastic writers and dedicated teachers—I found new colleagues and learned things I needed to know.  The conference staff works constantly—really, their efforts seem non-stop—to keep the learning and the fun flowing smoothly.  And Sewanee itself—the land with its the venerable trees and lush lawns; the elegant architecture; and the compact, convenient and friendly town—is a gem.  Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference is a place to work hard and play hard, at the craft of writing, the life of the mind, and the recreation of the spirit.   

Claire Vaye Watkins

Former Teacher at SYWC

I had a blast teaching fiction on the mountain.  My whip-smart young writers worked their artistic little tails off reading, writing and critiquing literary fiction.  We dipped our collective toe in the pool with stories by canonical and contemporary luminaries like Joyce Carol Oates, Tim O’Brien, Flannery O’Connor, Frederick Busch, Jamaica Kincaid, Junot Díaz, Aimee Bender, Christopher Coake and Daniel Orozco.  Then my gang wrote their own stories, with which I was bowled over.  Would I had written so well at their age!  Workshops were intelligent, articulate, sometimes a little raucous, always a lot of love.  It was a pleasure to witness these young people in the classroom, making art, then making it better, and a thrill to watch them coalesce into an honest-to-God community of writers.  The community's the thing at the SYWC, from one-on-one conferences to writing expeditions, incredible hikes, brilliant readings and late-night coffee shop chats.  I was ever more impressed with the caliber and character of this bunch, ever more glad I got to meet them.  Sewanee is a very special place, and it seems the Young Writers' Conference has bottled a bit of its juju.

HEAR FROM SYWC participants


The Sewanee Young Writer's Conference is an experience for the whole body and mind. There is something so magical about the atmosphere, from the majesty of the mountain to the nature of being immersed in an entire group of people just as passionate about writing as I am. The incredible range of different genres and authors we were exposed to was overwhelming in the best way…. I now have a network of people across the country and the world of people who care about me, but also care about writing. I have never felt so thoroughly understood as I did in the company of the students and staff of the Sewanee Young Writers Conference, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt this incredible experience has shaped who I am as a person and who I will become as a writer.
-Olivia, from Texas
I have been so incredibly grateful to be a part of the Sewanee Young Writers’ Program. I left with a completely different mindset about writing and the world in general. I now see things I never noticed in the past. Everything has a metaphor if you can read it. I would encourage every young writer to apply to Sewanee at least once. I have met some of the most brilliant young writers here. From coffee at Stirling’s to hiking Perimeter Trail, Sewanee holds a very special place in my heart. This place is unlike any other.
-Elizabeth, from Tennessee
Spending two weeks living on Sewanee’s gorgeous campus, exploring the craft and joy of writing, and making truly incredible friends throughout the SYWC was undoubtably one of the best writer experiences of my life! There wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t amazed and fueled with inspiration by the peers and instructors around me—and of course, the special events, like karaoke, were a blast!! I wouldn’t change a thing. I only wish I had gotten to be there for longer: exploring the world of writing with those remarkable people, living in those beautiful memories.
-Clare, from North Carolina
I had an absolutely amazing time at Sewanee- I met so many people I admire and hope to see again in the future. There’s really something about being in a place full of people as passionate about something you are and Sewanee felt like that. The counselors were so accommodating and made the dorm environment comfortable from the get-go.….The people I shared my writing with and likewise shared theirs were beyond incredible. My most distinct memory is making a group of friends who passed around our poetry and short stories at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the coffee shop or the dining hall. I met some unforgettable people sharing ghost stories before lights out, catching lightning bugs, and walking through the cemetery talking about what we were writing in class. I had so much fun and learned so much.
-Evie, from Tennessee
It is something so magical to be surrounded by writers who share your passion for good work.
-Bota, from Maryland
I came to the Young Writers’ Conference with grand ideas of how to write poetry and left with the shattered remnants of those ideas. I am a better poet because of it.
-Benjamin, from Ohio
The best part of my experience was the wonderful and supportive community I found at Sewanee. Here I found that writing wasn’t a competition, but an activity where everyone wins because it is all about self-improvement.
-Chris, from New York
I learned that I love to write. I learned how to stimulate my creativity and how to have a writer’s eye. I’ve become observant of elements of the real world that I can use in my stories because fiction is nothing more than using pieces of reality to convey something in a new way.
-Jonah, from Tennessee
This is the most beautiful, magical, and enlightening place. This is a place where you will grow and change as a writer in ways you’ve never imagined. This is a place where you will find friends and make memories that will you will have for a lifetime.
-Clara, from New York
I have not only learned how to write in a new genre, creative nonfiction, but I have also met a diverse group of creative individuals, some of whom I will keep in touch with away from Sewanee. Sewanee was a great learning environment, a friendly getaway from the stress and distractions of city life.
-Emily, from Tennessee
I came to Sewanee this summer as an English student who enjoyed her classes, and I left as a writer. I learned so much and found a support system that I can turn to for input about anything I write either in school or independently.
-Caroline, from Maryland
Among helpful peers and fun instructors, one really discovers how sacred Sewanee really is. It becomes a community, and in this community confidence is gained, ideas are shared, and skills are improved.
-Lillie, from Tennessee
When you’re here at the conference, you can leave all of your troubles, worries, and duties at home. For two weeks, you can concentrate fully on writing and developing your creative voice. You’ll meet great people and have fun in the process.
-Daniel, from Louisiana
I left here knowing how to employ every tool in writing and how to employ them in such a way that the story they created was more than you had hoped it would be. It was also amazing to meet so many different people who all cared about the same thing and didn’t think you were strange for wanting to read and write. Even when I was doing the homework, I was having fun. These were easily the best two weeks of my life.
-Lindsay, from Louisiana
The teachers here are wonderful, and who would not love being able to write in such a magical place?
-Annie, from Texas
The Sewanee Young Writers' Conference helped me become confident in my poetry while allowing me to stretch the scope of my mind and write about experiences I hadn't thought of before!
-Krishna, from Arizona
I didn't know what to expect coming in, but the conference was beyond what I could have wanted. For the first time in my life, I was writing everyday-and I was writing pieces I was proud of. I was surrounded by people who loved writing as much as I did and made friends who know more about me than most people, friends whom I trust and hope will edit my work for years to come.
-Joanna, from Pennsylvania
There is something unexplainably incredible about sitting together with close friends and making art. Every writer should experience this camp.
-Jordan, from Florida
The overall experience is eye-opening, and you gain a new sense of community. You go in knowing everyone is there for the same reason, and they all care and that alone is amazing. You learn more about your writing and yourself by the end.
-Keiona, from Florida
The Sewanee Young Writers' Conference was a truly transformative experience. I learned how to better appreciate and observe my surroundings, and also learned how to better understand the world through writing. I am so grateful for the experience!
-Sahit, from Texas

The Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference was one of the most enriching and formative experiences of my youth…. I was surrounded by like-minded students, who wanted to spend two weeks in the summer improving their craft, workshopping their stories or poems, and collaborating on new ideas. Even though the program lasted only 14 days, I grew more as a writer during that short time than I did all four years of high school.…. I am deeply indebted to the Young Writers’ Conference for not only giving me a place to learn, but for providing a safe place for me to grow as well.

-Andrew, from Alabama

I found a home on the plateau
Deep in the trees
With windy nights and rainy days
Laughter and love.
-Julia, from Massachusetts