Pay What You Can for the NCWN 2021 Spring Conference. Seriously.

GREENSBORO—Let’s try this again, shall we?

And we do mean “try.” After 12 months like no other, the North Carolina Writers’ Network will hold a Spring Conference like no other, April 22—24.

Registration for the North Carolina Writers’ Network 2021 Spring Conference is open.

The Spring Conference Master Classes will take place online, on the evenings of April 22 and 23.

The bulk of the conference will take place on Saturday, April 24, online. The day will include traditional Spring Conference features such as two class sessions, faculty readings, optional open-mic readings, and an online picnic lunch.

Much will be different, though. The biggest difference will be the registration fee. In lieu of set fees, those who register for the 2021 Spring Conference will pay what they can. Each registration option—Master Classes, Lunch with an Author, and the Spring Conference itself—will include a suggested fee, but registrants only have to pay whatever amount makes them comfortable. Amounts above the suggested fee will be considered tax-deductible donations.

“We know this has been a tough year for many people,” Southern said. “We hope this will make the Spring Conference accessible to all writers who want to take part. At the same time, we know how much our members value our programs, and we trust those who can to recognize that value.”

The Spring Conference Master Classes will be led by Eric G. Wilson (creative nonfiction), Valerie Nieman (fiction), and Emilia Phillips (poetry).

Saturday’s offerings will include a Poetry track with classes led by Ashley Lumpkin and Joseph Mills; a Creative Nonfiction track with “Writing Trauma,” led by James Tate Hill; and a Fiction track with Zelda Lockhart. Both the Fiction and Creative Nonfiction tracks will be rounded out by “Authors as Entrepreneurs,” led by Terry L. Kennedy and Ross White.

“We all want to see each other again, face-to-face instead of screen-to-screen,” Southern said. “But we have to remain responsible, and cautious.”

For full details and to register, visit www.ncwriters.org.