“The spirit of Napa is one of generosity and support, with little focus given to professionalization, which often kills inspiration. I keep coming back to the conference each year because I want to turn my attention entirely to the study and to the creation of poetry, and unlike so many other conferences, Napa stands for that.”
— Blas Falconer, author of Forgive the Body This Failure, The Foundling Wheel, and A Question of Gravity and Light
While conference lectures and readings are open to the public, the heart of the experience — the daily workshop, with the opportunity to give and receive feedback on work in progress — is available only to participants. It’s through this intense process that new and established writers interact most meaningfully and forge the bonds that give the conference community life beyond the annual conference week.
In addition, only participants have the opportunity to showcase their work in the participant reading.
The admissions process begins at the start of the year for the upcoming summer.
- Visit our Apply page for manuscript submission guidelines and other application tips, as well as the link to apply using our online form.
- Consult our Frequently Asked Questions for a compendium for further information about the application process.
- Please read our 2024 Covid-19 Protocols prior to applying.
- If you have further questions not answered by the resources above, please contact us — we look forward to hearing from you.
- Over the last few years, applications have increased steadily! We now operate a lottery system for conferees who have attended in the past two years. Please see the Apply page for further details.
