WriteAngles 2026!

The leading literary conference in Western MA.
For writers, by writers.

We’re back in 2026 with another inspiring day of learning and connection. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24, 2026, as the WriteAngles Conference heads to Bay Path University in Longmeadow!
Stay tuned for more details, including registration and program updates. 
 

Check out the links below to  explore what’s in store

2026 Conference Program
2026 Presenters
Literary Agents

Essie Chambers

WriteAngles 2026 Keynote Speaker

Author and Producer to headline conference

WriteAngles is excited to announce that award winning author and producer, Essie Chambers, will be the keynote speaker for the 2026 conference.  

Essie Chambers’ bestselling debut novel, Swift River—a Today Show “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick—won the 2024 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize and was named a best book of the year by The Washington Post, NPR, The Boston Globe, Elle, and others. It was also longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award, The Libby Awards, the New England Book Awards and the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. She received an Honor Fiction award from The Black Caucus of the American Library Association.

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A Few Words

About The Conference Organizer

The mission of Straw Dog Writers Guild is to support the writing community by strengthening, engaging, and connecting writers at all levels of development.

We are a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to the craft and transformative power of writing, designed to serve writers throughout the region by promoting individual growth, community outreach and enrichment, and community building. [MORE]

What They Are Saying

Past conference attendees comment on the WriteAngles experience…

Joyful Connection

Thanks, in part, to WriteAngles, I can call myself a writer. After years of having stories to tell and, yes, at times telling those stories but never writing them, today I write. I’m working on my second book. To tell you the truth, I can’t stop writing. That’s a good problem to have, and I thank WriteAngles for illuminating this wonderful, joyful connection to my newfound art.
Steve Bernstein
Steve Bernstein
Author, “Stories from the Stoop”

My Cup Runneth Over

Meeting with publicist Mary Bisbee-Beek at the last WriteAngles conference is the best thing that's happened in my recent writing life! I have two books coming out next year with three different publishers all because of her. She rocks! She got my first book reprinted with JackLeg Press, and suggested I submit my second to the Leapfrog Global Fiction Awards, where it just won publication in both the US and the UK! My cup runneth over.
D.K. McCutchen
D.K. McCutchen
Author, “Jellyfish Dreaming”

Practical Advice

I am happy to hear that the WriteAngles Conference will be back! The conferences that I attended gave me hope, inspiration, and practical advice. I benefited greatly from a session in 2019 called Paths to Publication, where panelists discussed the pros and cons of big publishers, indie presses, and hybrids... My wife, Priscilla, and I were referred to White River Press... We ended up with our book in print within a year and were delighted with the result.
Mohammad Yadegari
Mohammad Yadegari
Author, “Always An Immigrant"

The 2026 Venue

Bay Path University
Longmeadow, MA

Bay Path University
Longmeadow, MA

When Bay Path opened its doors to students in downtown Springfield in 1897, it had a very clear goal: to provide a practical, affordable, and career-oriented education to meet the needs of companies, organizations, and communities. From the beginning, Bay Path prided itself on being entrepreneurial, constantly pushing the boundaries of the academic experience to fit the student. To start them on the road to success.

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BY WRITERS, FOR WRITERS