Conference
2026 Jackson Hole Writers Conference Schedule Overview
Subject to change. Schedule overview updated monthly.
JH Writers
P.O. Box 3871
Jackson, WY 83001
307-200-5858
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
PRE-CONFERENCE ARRIVALS & SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Arrivals before 5:00 are invited to explore Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park.
Afternoon/Evening
Arrivals, hotel check-in and dinner on your own.
Evening
Public reading and open mic with faculty guests.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS BEGIN. A FULL AFTERNOON OF EVENTS AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS. EVENING FACULTY READING & CONVERSATION.
Early morning
Guided writing time with prompts from local authors. Open to the public.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Intensive workshops for accepted applicants.
Exploration of Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park for conference attendees. Optional activity with a local author.
12:00-1:30
Lunch break. Lunch provided for workshop participants.
12:30-1:30
Manuscript critiques for afternoon conference registrants.
1:30-3:30
Afternoon conference.
- Welcoming remarks by JH Writers Executive Director, Matt Daly
- Author Presentation by Nina McConigley
- Editors panel with Naomi Gibbs, Ethan Nosowsky, Emily Bell, Kristina Marie Darling & Tiffany Troy
3:30-5:15
Craft Classes.
- Turning the Page from Writer to Author: How to Build a Writing Career
with author Mallory O’Meara and agent Amy Bishop-Wycisk
Join literary agent Amy Bishop-Wycisk and bestselling and award-winning author Mallory O’Meara as they discuss what it takes to go from writing for yourself to becoming a professional author. There is so much more to building a writing career aside from just the writing, and Amy and Mallory will draw on their years of experience to teach you what it takes to plan and create a career for the long term. Among other points, this class will cover creating a sustainable writing schedule, author branding, looking at writing as a business, and most importantly, when it is viable to start thinking about becoming a full time author. - Claire Boyles craft class.
5:15-6:00
Social hour
6:00-7:30
Literary Citizenship: Faculty reading/conversation, book sale & signing with Nina McConigley, Michelle Orange and Kristina Marie Darling
7:30-
Dinner with new writer friends. Fun around town.
Friday, October 23, 2026
INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS CONTINUE. A FULL AFTERNOON OF EVENTS AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS. A SECOND EVENING FACULTY READING & CONVERSATION.
Early morning
Guided writing time with prompts from faculty. Open to the public.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Intensive workshops for accepted applicants.
Exploration of Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park for conference attendees. Optional activity with a local author.
12:00-1:30
Lunch break. Lunch provided for workshop participants.
1:30-3:00
Afternoon conference.
- Author Presentation
- Agents panel with Amy Bishop-Wycisk & Kate Garrick
3:30-5:15
Craft Classes.
- Up from the Slush Pile: Query Letters and Finding the Right Agent for Your Work
with agent Kate Garrick
Queries can be a source of anxiety for writers, possessing as they seem to the power to break one’s work out or to condemn it to the purgatory of the slush pile. But a query letter isn’t otherworldly; it’s a cover letter. In this class, students will learn the basics of the querying process, from identifying the best agents for their work to writing a query letter that will grab those agents’ attention. - Craft class with Maile Chapman
5:15-6:00
Social hour
6:00-7:30
Literary Citizenship: Faculty reading/conversation, book sale & signing with Mallory O’Meara, Claire Boyles and Tiffany Troy
7:30-
Dinner with new writer friends. Fun around town.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS CONCLUDE. A FULL AFTERNOON OF CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS. EVENING PARTICIPANT READING & CELEBRATION.
Early morning
Guided writing time with prompts from local authors. Open to the public.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Intensive workshops for accepted applicants.
Exploration of Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park for conference attendees. Optional activity with a local author.
12:00-1:30
Lunch break. Lunch provided for workshop participants.
1:30-3:00
Afternoon conference.
- Author presentation
- Editors Roundtable – ask questions and engage in one-on-one conversations with conference faculty editors
3:30-5:00
Craft classes.
5:00-6:00
Social hour
6:00-7:30
Workshop and conference participant reading. Open to the public.
Conference closing.
7:30-
Dinner with new writer friends. Fun around town.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Early morning
Guided writing time with prompts from faculty. Open to the public.
9:00-11:00
Final optional craft class with a local author.
Departures.