Conferences

 

MYSTERY CONFERENCES

Bloody Words
http://www.bloodywords.com/
(NOTE: The conference said 2014 may be the last conference.) Bloody Words is a Canadian mystery conference which is the oldest and largest in that country. It’s held in June each year with lots of panels and workshops with authors. They give out the Hammett Awards.

Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference
http://bookpassage.com/mystery-writers-conference
This conference in June in Corte Madera, California, provides panels and workshops for budding mystery writers to help further their writing career.

Bouchercon
http://www.bouchercon.info/
Bouchercon, named for the late mystery author/editor/critic Anthony Boucher, is the oldest and largest annual convention of mystery fans, authors, publishers, etc.  It’s held in a different location each year and hands out the Anthony awards.

Crime and Justice Festival
http://www.crimeandjusticefestival.com/
An event held in the summer in Melbourne, Australia, where the public, writers, social commentators, judicial luminaries and the legal profession come together to both celebrate and promote contemporary writings in the fields of justice and human rights, and to overlay these discussions with guest writers in the genre of crime fiction.

Deadly Ink
http://www.deadlyink2014.org/
Held in Parsippany, New Jersey, each summer, Deadly Ink features panels and master classes and sponsors the David G. Sasher Award for Best Mystery Novel, Ida Chittum Award for best Young Adult Mystery Novel, a contest for unpublished novels with a chance at publication for the winner, and a short story contest.

Old Pecular Crime Writing Festival
http://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime/
An international festival held annually in July in the Harrogate area of the UK.

International Festival of the Roman Noir
http://www.polar-frontignan.org/
Held in Frontignan, France in the summer, this conference focuses on noir mystery/crime fiction.

Killer Nashville
http://www.killernashville.com/
Held in August in Nashville, this conference is for fans and writers of both mysteries and thrillers.

Kiss of Death
http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/conference.php
This conference, sponsored by the Romantic Writers of America, celebrates romantic suspense and hands out the annual Daphne Awards.

Left Coast Crime
http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/
Left Coast Crime is an annual conference held in the first quarter of the calendar year in Western North America in areas like Denver, Colorado and Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Library of Congress National Book Festival
http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/
Not just for mystery fiction, but includes mystery authors each year; held in D.C., usually in late summer, around September

Love Is Murder
http://www.loveismurder.net/
Held in February in the greater Chicago area, this conference gets some fairly big names like Lee Child and Barry Eisler as speakers and also for seminars and master classes.

Malice Domestic
http://www.malicedomestic.org/
The Malice conference is held annually in Arlington, Virginia, and bills itself as an annual "fun fan" convention saluting the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. It has a long list of author attendees and sessions and sponsors the Agatha Awards.

Men of Mystery
http://www.menofmystery.org/
A conference usually held in November and limited to 500 participants from the public. Guests include more than 50 male mystery writers in every mystery subgenre.

Murder in the Magic City
http://www.murderinthemagiccity2014.com/
A one-day conference held in February in Birmingham, Alabama which bills itself as a “a mystery conference for fans of all sub-genres of mystery novels.”

Murder on the Menu
http://www.wetumpkalibrary.com/Default.asp?ID=455&pg=What+is+Murder+on+the+Menu%3F
A one-day event in Wetumpka, Alabama in February featuring a luncheon with best-selling authors and a limited number of fans.

New England Crimebake
http://crimebake.org/index.htm
Held in November in Massachusetts, they have the usual complement of panels and workshops and also sponsor a short story contest, the Al Blanchard Award.

Noir Con
http://www.noircon.com/
NoirCon 2008 will feature discussions, lectures, readings, and screenings. Whether it's hardboiled fiction by the likes of Chandler, Hammett, Muller or Himes, or groundbreaking films like Double Identity, Body Heat, or Pulp Fiction, Noir has a distinctive style all its own. It’s usually held in April.

Police Safety Writers Association Conference
http://policewriter.com/wordpress/conference/
This conference is held annually in Las Vegas and is open to anyone writing crime and mystery fiction or non-fiction, technical writing for public safey magazines in print or online, or anyone interested in writing.

Sleuthfest
http://mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest/
Sleuthfest is presented by the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and held each March in Fort Lauderdale. Their stated purpose is to help experienced, professional writers advance their careers and new writers break into the profession.

South Carolina Book Festival
http://www.scbookfestival.org/
Although not geared specifically for crime fiction, this festival includes several best-selling mystery authors each year. Held in Columbia, SC, in the Spring (around February/March).

Thrillerfest
http://thrillerfest.com/
Thrillerfest is a relativeily new conference sponsored by the International Thriller Writers and held in July in New York City. As the name implies, it focuses entirely on the thriller sub-genre of mystery fiction. They give out fiction awards, as well.

Tony Hillerman Mystery Writers Conference
http://www.wordharvest.com/registration.php
Held in November in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Hillerman conference includes the Hillerman Prize for a first mystery novel, and also a short story contest.

Writers Police Academy
http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com
A hands-on workshop in North Carolina, led by crime consultant/author Lee Lofland.


GENERAL WRITING  & PUBLISHING CONFERENCES

American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/
The ALA conference is held in a different city each year, with upwards of 20,000 attendees and over 900 vendors. It’s a good place for new authors to get their books before librarians, who make purchasing decisions for the thousands of libraries across the US.

Backspace Writers Conference
http://www.backspacewritersconference.com/
Held at the Algonquin Hotel in New York in late May/early June, this conference brings together best-selling authors, top literary agents, and editors for a two-day, two-track event featuring panel discussions, workshops, and socializing in the heart of the publishing world.

Book Expo America
http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/
One of the granddaddies of them all, BEA is held in a different city each year. It’s not a writers conference per se, but a publishing industry conference with professionals from around the world discussing the biz and schmoozing. There are book signings and sessions, mostly featuring best-selling authors.

Crime Fiction Academy
http://www.centerforfiction.org/crimefiction
Seminars and master classes with bestselling crime fiction authors.

Edinburgh International Book Festival
http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/
The Edinburgh festival has become one of the largest and most dynamic festivals of its kind in the world. It’s usually held in August.

Library of Congress Database of Book Fairs
http://www.read.gov/resources/
The LOC database includes a selection of events around the US, but also includes a few from overseas, as well.

Midwest Booksellers Association Heartland Fall Forum
http://midwestbooksellers.org/conferences/
This trade show, usually held in October, includes author signings with a formal autographing schedule.

New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Conference
http://www.newatlanticbooks.com/fall_conference.html
This regional trade show offers the usual lineup of author signings and a “moveable feast” banquet.

New England Booksellers Association Trade Show
http://www.newenglandbooks.org/
Another of the regional bookseller trade shows, usually held in September, NEBA includes authors who speaking at events in addition to workshops and seminars that run throughout the weekend. Saturday evening's major event is "Dinner with Authors," aka the "moveable feast," in which authors move from table to table of booksellers as each course is served. The dinner gives fifteen authors and 150 booksellers an opportunity to meet one another and forge relationships for the long-term. The New England Book Awards will be presented at the Sunday Breakfast with Authors

Northern California Independent Booksellers Trade Show
http://www.nciba.com/news/trade-show.html
This is another of the regional bookseller trade shows for independents. It’s usually held in October.

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
http://www.pnba.org/show.htm
This regional bookseller show includes some author signings and other opportunities. Usually held in September.

Public Library Association National Conference
http://www.placonference.org/
The biennial National Conference is the premier event for the public libraries, drawing librarians, library support staff, trustees, Friends, and library vendors from across the country and around the world. The conference has educational programs, speakers, an exhibits hall, and networking opportunities.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference
http://rmfw.org/conference/
Held in the Fall (usually Sepember) in Denver.

Shaw Guides
http://writing.shawguides.com/
The Shaw Guides include, among other things, a free database of writers conferences and workshops of all types.

Southern Independent Booksellers Convention
http://www.sibaweb.com/
This booksellers conference includes many author appearance, signings, and a “moveable feast” banquet.


WORKSHOPS/CLASSES

Shaw Guides
http://writing.shawguides.com/
A database of writing conferences, workshops, and retreats

Writers Digest Online Workshops
http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/
Online instruction in fiction, the business of writing, grammar, composition, poetry, life stories, nonfiction