Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference

06/18/2026

Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference's Evening Reading Series is back!

The conference presents its Evening Reading Series on June 23-26, 2026, at Hagg-Sauer Hall on Bemidji State University campus. Readings are free and begin at 7 p.m.
BEMIDJI — Since 2013, the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference has hosted a series of evening readings featuring award-winning authors.

After a forced break in 2025 because of the derecho storm, the series returns this year.

The Evening Reading series is June 23-27, with two speakers each night. The readings are free to attend and begin at 7 p.m. in Room 150 in the Hagg-Sauer Hall building at Bemidji State University.

This year’s speakers include poets, fiction and nonfiction writers. Listen to the full conversation about each writer with Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference Director Sean Hill above.

Schedule
Tuesday, June 23: Douglas Kearney (poetry) and Debra Magpie Earling (fiction)
Wednesday, June 24: Toni Jensen (nonfiction) and Debra Stone (published Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference writer)
Thursday, June 25: Joni Tevis (nonfiction) and Sean Hill (Poet and MNWC Director)
Friday, June 26: Jennifer Elise Foerster (poetry) and Layli Long Soldier (poetry)

The conference presents its Evening Reading Series on June 23-26, 2026, at Hagg-Sauer Hall on Bemidji State University campus. Readings are free and begin at 7 p.m.

06/17/2026

JOIN US! The Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference is proud to present our award-winning faculty at the MNWC Evening Reading Series.

Readings will take place at 7PM in Hagg Sauer Hall 150 at Bemidji State University and are free and open to the public. Books will be for sale and a book signing will follow each reading.

Tuesday, June 23 at 7PM
Douglas Kearney (Poetry) and Debra Magpie Earling (Fiction)

Wednesday, June 24
Toni Jensen (Nonfiction) and Debra Stone (published MNWC writer)

Thursday, June 25
Joni Tevis (Nonfiction) and Sean Hill (Poet & MNWC Director)

Friday, June 26
Jennifer Elise Foerster (Poetry) and Layli Long Soldier (Poetry)

Hagg Sauer Hall 150
Seating for 300 is theater-style. Accessible seating is available. Handicap parking is located at the East door of HSH. Parking is free on campus during the summer, except at meters. There is nearby parking in the American Indian Resource Center parking lot and Bridgeman Hall parking lot.

Evening Reading Series Site
Please visit our EVENING READING SERIES to view archived readings. https://www.northwoodsreadings.org/

05/21/2026

There are still seats available in our workshops. Check them out. Apply at https://www.northwoodswriters.org/mnwc-general-application. Please share this and spread the word.

04/08/2026

Join us for the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference Bemidji, MN June 23-26, 2026
https://www.northwoodswriters.org/application We’re excited to announce, after having to cancel our 2025 conference due to a powerful storm hitting Bemidji on the eve of the event, the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference will return to Bemidji State University this summer, with six intensive writing workshops beside beautiful Lake Bemidji. Our faculty so far includes four members of the MNWC25 faculty: Jennifer Foerster (poetry), Toni Jensen (creative nonfiction), Douglas Kearney (poetry), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). The award-winning novelist Debra Magpie Earling (fiction) and the acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier (poetry) will be joining the faculty this year. Please check our website periodically for updates. We will open registration in March. *The MNWC staff is always refining, adjusting, and revising the conference in order to best serve our community. This year, we have condensed the conference by a couple days. But we’ve worked to maintain the workshop contact hours while creating a more concentrated workshop experience. Whereas last year’s schedule held 10.5 hours in workshop across a six-day conference, this year we’re holding those same 10.5 hours in workshop across a four-day conference. Each faculty member will deliver a craft talk as usual. We’re also planning to run a sixth workshop, allowing us to lower the workshop cap from 12 to 10 participants per workshop, providing each participant more personalized attention. Part of our consideration for this decision for holding the conference from Tuesday through Friday was reducing the number of days away from home, and number of lodging days required, in order to lower financial barriers. We hope to see you this coming June! Please email Mark Spero at [email protected] to let us know if you have any questions.

Application Details The WORKSHOP fee is $825 until April 15 and $900 thereafter. Workshop and Auditor applications open March 15. MNWC Application Poetry, Fiction, or Creative Nonfiction Workshop Application Requirements: All applicants are required to submit five to ten pages of poetry (single-spac...

04/05/2026

Join us for the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference Bemidji, MN June 23-26, 2026
https://www.northwoodswriters.org/application We’re excited to announce, after having to cancel our 2025 conference due to a powerful storm hitting Bemidji on the eve of the event, the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference will return to Bemidji State University this summer, with six intensive writing workshops beside beautiful Lake Bemidji. Our faculty so far includes four members of the MNWC25 faculty: Jennifer Foerster (poetry), Toni Jensen (creative nonfiction), Douglas Kearney (poetry), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). The award-winning novelist Debra Magpie Earling (fiction) and the acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier (poetry) will be joining the faculty this year. Please check our website periodically for updates. We will open registration in March. *The MNWC staff is always refining, adjusting, and revising the conference in order to best serve our community. This year, we have condensed the conference by a couple days. But we’ve worked to maintain the workshop contact hours while creating a more concentrated workshop experience. Whereas last year’s schedule held 10.5 hours in workshop across a six-day conference, this year we’re holding those same 10.5 hours in workshop across a four-day conference. Each faculty member will deliver a craft talk as usual. We’re also planning to run a sixth workshop, allowing us to lower the workshop cap from 12 to 10 participants per workshop, providing each participant more personalized attention. Part of our consideration for this decision for holding the conference from Tuesday through Friday was reducing the number of days away from home, and number of lodging days required, in order to lower financial barriers. We hope to see you this coming June! Please email Mark Spero at [email protected] to let us know if you have any questions.

04/05/2026

Join us for the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference Bemidji, MN June 23-26, 2026* https://www.northwoodswriters.org/application We’re excited to announce, after having to cancel our 2025 conference due to a powerful storm hitting Bemidji on the eve of the event, the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference will return to Bemidji State University this summer, with six intensive writing workshops beside beautiful Lake Bemidji. Our faculty so far includes four members of the MNWC25 faculty: Jennifer Foerster (poetry), Toni Jensen (creative nonfiction), Douglas Kearney (poetry), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). The award-winning novelist Debra Magpie Earling (fiction) and the acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier (poetry) will be joining the faculty this year. Please check our website periodically for updates. We will open registration in March. *The MNWC staff is always refining, adjusting, and revising the conference in order to best serve our community. This year, we have condensed the conference by a couple days. But we’ve worked to maintain the workshop contact hours while creating a more concentrated workshop experience. Whereas last year’s schedule held 10.5 hours in workshop across a six-day conference, this year we’re holding those same 10.5 hours in workshop across a four-day conference. Each faculty member will deliver a craft talk as usual. We’re also planning to run a sixth workshop, allowing us to lower the workshop cap from 12 to 10 participants per workshop, providing each participant more personalized attention. Part of our consideration for this decision for holding the conference from Tuesday through Friday was reducing the number of days away from home, and number of lodging days required, in order to lower financial barriers. We hope to see you this coming June! Please email Mark Spero at [email protected] to let us know if you have any questions.

04/05/2026

Join us for the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference
Bemidji, MN June 23-26, 2026* https://www.northwoodswriters.org/application We’re excited to announce, after having to cancel our 2025 conference due to a powerful storm hitting Bemidji on the eve of the event, the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference will return to Bemidji State University this summer, with six intensive writing workshops beside beautiful Lake Bemidji. Our faculty so far includes four members of the MNWC25 faculty: Jennifer Foerster (poetry), Toni Jensen (creative nonfiction), Douglas Kearney (poetry), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). The award-winning novelist Debra Magpie Earling (fiction) and the acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier (poetry) will be joining the faculty this year. Please check our website periodically for updates. We will open registration in March. *The MNWC staff is always refining, adjusting, and revising the conference in order to best serve our community. This year, we have condensed the conference by a couple days. But we’ve worked to maintain the workshop contact hours while creating a more concentrated workshop experience. Whereas last year’s schedule held 10.5 hours in workshop across a six-day conference, this year we’re holding those same 10.5 hours in workshop across a four-day conference. Each faculty member will deliver a craft talk as usual. We’re also planning to run a sixth workshop, allowing us to lower the workshop cap from 12 to 10 participants per workshop, providing each participant more personalized attention. Part of our consideration for this decision for holding the conference from Tuesday through Friday was reducing the number of days away from home, and number of lodging days required, in order to lower financial barriers. We hope to see you this coming June! Please email Mark Spero at [email protected] to let us know if you have any questions.

03/16/2026

MNWC APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

Bemidji, MN June 23-26, 2026*

https://www.northwoodswriters.org/application

We’re excited to announce, after having to cancel our 2025 conference due to a powerful storm hitting Bemidji on the eve of the event, the Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference will return to Bemidji State University this summer, with six intensive writing workshops beside beautiful Lake Bemidji. Our faculty so far includes four members of the MNWC25 faculty: Jennifer Foerster (poetry), Toni Jensen (creative nonfiction), Douglas Kearney (poetry), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). The award-winning novelist Debra Magpie Earling (fiction) and the acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier (poetry) will be joining the faculty this year. Please check our website periodically for updates. We will open registration in March.

*The MNWC staff is always refining, adjusting, and revising the conference in order to best serve our community. This year, we have condensed the conference by a couple days. But we’ve worked to maintain the workshop contact hours while creating a more concentrated workshop experience. Whereas last year’s schedule held 10.5 hours in workshop across a six-day conference, this year we’re holding those same 10.5 hours in workshop across a four-day conference. Each faculty member will deliver a craft talk as usual. We’re also planning to run a sixth workshop, allowing us to lower the workshop cap from 12 to 10 participants per workshop, providing each participant more personalized attention. Part of our consideration for this decision for holding the conference from Tuesday through Friday was reducing the number of days away from home, and number of lodging days required, in order to lower financial barriers. We hope to see you this coming June!

Please email Mark Spero at [email protected] to let us know if you have any questions.

10/22/2025

We were so happy to have been with many of you at our first few New Moon Craft talks. Our series runs through December and there's still time to register if you haven't already! Can't make it to all the scheduled events? Recordings will be posted after the series is finished.

Tomorrow evening’s talk at 6pm CT with Jennifer Foerster called the Poetics of Listening: A Generative Workshop will be a delight! Join us!

https://mnscu.rschooltoday.com/.../costop.../class_id/302580