Photo by Fallen Moon Photography / Marlene Gutierrez Moreno
What a wonderful 2024 Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference we celebrated together! It was a true delight to welcome old friends and new faces to Mendocino for three days of workshops, seminars, readings, open mics, and panels.
Paths to Publishing Panel with Lio Min, Henry Hoke, Douglas Manuel, and Lisa Locascio Nighthawk
One scholarship recipient notes, “The conference experience was wonderful, and I am so grateful. I got feedback that will deepen my writing and make it stronger. I got insights into how to get my work out into the world. I connected with other writers and feel confident we will provide each other with mutual support going forward. This scholarship made all of that possible. It was validating to get the scholarship and made me feel that I deserved to be here among the writers.”
This year we welcomed participants from as far away as New York and as near as Fort Bragg. We celebrated our closing banquet in the beautiful Crown Hall for the first time and bid farewell to our beloved longtime board member Laura Welter.
Laura Welter at Crown Hall - photo by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Our faculty read to a packed house of conference participants and local attendees on Thursday and Friday night. Thanks to our wonderful booksellers Gallery Bookshop, participants in MCWC 2024 had the special opportunity to buy copies of keynote speaker Rachel Kushner’s new novel Creation Lake a month before its official release.
We were delighted to convene once again on the foggy and magical coast for our handmade gathering, where writers find opportunity, expertise, and friendship. We hope you’ll join us next year. Save the dates - July 31 - August 2, 2025!
Photos by Fallen Moon Photography / Marlene Gutierrez Moreno
MEET THE CONTEST WINNERS
This year, we awarded 17 writers who submitted to our annual contest. Winners had the opportunity to read their work at the conference, received a credit to our Gallery Bookshop pop-up, and will be considered for publication in Noyo Review, the literary journal of the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference. Below are the 2024 winners.
Frej Barty - photo by Fallen Moon Photography / Marlene Gutierrez Moreno
MEMOIR
First Place: “Flutter By, Firefly” - CARRIE LYNN HAWTHORNE
Second Place: “Adjul” - LISA PALMER
Third Place: “Saved” - LEAH KORICAN
MG/YA
First Place: “Happenings” - TERRY CONNELLY
SHORT STORY
First place: "Constellations" - ALYSON SAGALA
Second place: "The Very Large Nothing" - ZANE FISCHER
Third place: "Here in Ghostworld" - AMIE BALTHAZOR
SPECULATIVE FICTION
First Place: "All and Sundry" & "Unfiltered" - CANDACE COULOMBE
Second Place: "Zombie Movie" - LAUREN HRUSKA
NOVEL
First Place: “Fertile Ground” - JAMIESON BUNN
Second Place: “Flora: The Mother and Her Faith“ - ALEJANDRA NAVARRO
Third Place: “The Wedding Guest” - PAUL WEISSBURG
POETRY
First Place: “What We Had” - LAUREN OERTEL
Second Place: “Facing” - FREJ BARTY
Third Place: “In the middle” - ALIA AYER
NONFICTION
First Place: “Narrate One, Knit One” - ANNIQUA RANA
Second Place: “Attending/Unattended” - SHARON MCCORKLE
Sarah Bowlin - photo by Fallen Moon Photography / Marlene Gutierrez Moreno
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
We are looking to connect local writers and to expand our programming and want to know your thoughts. What would you like to see from MCWC in the future? Please take one minute to complete our short survey.
Photo by Fallen Moon Photography / Marlene Gutierrez Moreno
A NOTE OF INSPIRATION ON OUR 35TH YEAR
“Many years ago, Carolyn See was the keynote speaker at the opening evening…Carolyn is a great writer and a great speaker, and I’ll never forget her talk that night that included this advice to all aspiring authors: write mash notes to authors.
She said authors spend a lot of time alone, writing, editing, sending off manuscripts, and there isn’t much contact or feedback with their readership. She said a letter telling an author what you love about their writing is always welcome by the author, even if they don’t respond.
But it does something else as well: it includes you in the community of authors. She suggested sending a mash note once a week. Then you’ll find yourself hearing back from some of them, and even if you don’t, you’re still engaging with the world of published writers, seeing yourself as a future part of it.
It was excellent advice and it created new relationships in my life. Thank you, Carolyn See. And MCWC!”
Annette Jarvie
MCWC Organizing Committee
Board Member 2001-2008
Photo by Fallen Moon Photography / Marlene Gutierrez Moreno