Applications open for Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference

Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference invites Scholarship and Master Class applications through February 15, 2023, for its in-person annual summer conference.

The 2023 conference includes morning workshops in 10 genres plus a juried Master Class, as well as afternoon seminars. Scholarships are to be awarded to applicants of all levels and backgrounds and may include tuition and housing stipends. The 2023 Master Class will focus on experimental memoir and story structure and will be led by award-winning novelist, memoirist, journalist, and editor, Ariel Gore

From August 3-5, 2023, the 34th Annual Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference (MCWC) will include morning workshops, afternoon craft and publishing seminars, and evening readings open to the public. The full schedule and faculty can be viewed at mcwc.org.

Applications for scholarships to attend MCWC 2023 are now open and include accommodation in addition to tuition. Special scholarships are available for high school students in Mendocino County, who are particularly encouraged to apply. Writers of all ages and levels of experience can apply by visiting mcwc.org/scholarships.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship or the juried

Master Class is February 15, 2023. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by early March. General registration will open to the public on March 15, 2023. With the exception of the applications for scholarships and for the juried Master Class, there is no writing sample required for registration.

“With our scholarships, we aim to make the conference accessible to writers from diverse backgrounds, to reward writing of outstanding merit, and to encourage writers at all levels to share their work and find literary community,” says MCWC Executive Director Lisa Locascio Nighthawk. Certain scholarships are specifically designated for writers from underrepresented groups on the basis of age, ethnicity, sexual identity, disability, social or cultural background, and financial need.

Locascio Nighthawk adds: “We especially want to encourage local writers to apply and come get a taste of a world-class literary gathering where they can meet fellow writers and gain valuable feedback on their writing. We have scholarships for Mendocino County high school students (grades 9-12), as well as for MCWC firsttime attendees and for those who have never attended a writers’ conference.”

The scholarship judging categories are organized by submission genre, including the categories of Novel, Short Fiction, Middle Grade/Young Adult, Poetry, Memoir, Nonfiction, Speculative Fiction, Mystery, and Screenwriting. All applications will be considered for all possible scholarships, and all applicants are welcome to register for the Conference regardless of the outcome of their scholarship application. Scholarships are assigned on the basis of merit, as determined by a diverse panel of local judges, to a recipient who meets the eligibility criteria of that scholarship.

For more information, please visit mcwc.org. Questions can also be directed to MCWC Operations Manager Patty West at info@mcwc.org or Executive Director Lisa Locascio Nighthawk at director@mcwc.org.