Back to the island! Registration is now open for the 2026 Sanibel Island Writers Conference, Nov. 5-7 at BIG ARTS on Sanibel Island.
Participants at all stages of development — from notebook scribblers to published novelists — are invited to attend a variety of workshops in fiction, poetry, TV writing, songwriting, storytelling, memoir, travel writing, children’s literature, and creative nonfiction; panels on publishing and editing; and readings, keynote addresses, and concerts.
"I had the pleasure of being a teacher/reader/panelist at this year's Sanibel Island Writers Conference. I've been to a great deal of such conferences, but never have I been one that was so beautifully organized, well-rounded, rigorous yet fun, and, best of all, attended by such high caliber participants. From the college-aged kid to the retiree, my ‘students’ were unfailingly impressive as both writers and readers."
-Heidi Julavits
Best-selling author and founder of The Believer magazine
"I am beginning to view my life through new eyes. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I feel like I have been given my sight back--in a manner of speaking. I suppose I should end before I start crying all over my keyboard, but I just wanted to let you know what a privilege it has been taking part in this conference, and I look forward to participating in future conferences."
-student
"I benefited so much from the knowledge I acquired at this conference. I feel empowered to be a better writer. It has increased my confidence in my own writing."
-student
Sponsors, Partners, and Acknowledgments
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Especially huge shout outs & bottomless gratitude to:
Toggle More Info- President Asyegul Timur
- Provost Mark Rieger
- Former President Michael V. Martin
- Former Provost James Llorens
- Former President Wilson G. Bradshaw & Joanna Bradshaw
- Former Provost Ronald Toll & Kathy Toll
- CAS Dean Clay Motley
- Department of Language & Literature Chair
- Dr. Kimberly Jackson
- Kelly Davis
- Lori & John Cornelius
- Department of Language & Literature
- Former Dean Donna Henry
- The FGCU Foundation
- Dr. Jim Wohlpart and his wife Sasha Wohlpart
- Donna Stremke
- Meghan Hian
- Kay Hubbard
- Town & Gown Association
- The Center for Environment and Society
- Community Relations and Marketing
- Jeff Weigel and the Sanibel Deli
- Amy Shearer Costello and everyone at Point Ybel Brewing Company
- Chef Karl Hamme and the Sanibel Catering Company
- Dr. Charles (billY) Gunnels and everyone at FGCU Scholars
- Lee Ellen, Marina, Chris, and everyone at BIG ARTS
- Jeff Cull, Nancy Stetson, and everyone at Florida Weekly
- Nancy McPhee and everyone at the Lee County Visitors and Convention Bureau and MMGY Global
- Darina Nikolov
- Office of Research and Graduate Studies
- FGCU's Creative Writing Club, members past & present, particularly founding officers Amy Ortolano, Andrew Schmid, Ally Wickman, and Kaleena Deland-Zepeda. Special shout-out to Makeda Amadi, Andrea McCrary, Michael Grissom, Courtney Spencer, and Shannon Crandall.
- Kevin Toler at Tolervision
- Lourdes Méndez Germain
- Susanna Wohlpart
- Dr. Tunde Szecsi
- Dr. Lois Christensen
- Dr. Marcia Greene
- Cindy Chinelly
- Dan Morgan
- The Everham's
- Mary Lou Hess and the Florida Writers Association
- Philip Heubeck
- Lauren Baker
- Pavol Roskovensky
- Benjamin Shea Lindner
- Andrew Morris
- Joseph Kakareka
- Gulf Coast Writers Association
- The West Wind Inn
- Sundial Resort
- Sanibel Resort
- Alison Granucci and everyone at Blue Flower Arts
- The Sanibel Island Public Library
- The ground team of volunteers
- William, Kathleen, and Michael DeMarchi
- Kay Tolchin
- Charlie DeMarchi
- Andrea DeMarchi
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To authors/workshop leaders/editors/agents for writing so many words worth reading:
Toggle More Info- Erin Almond
- Steve Almond
- Jonathan Ames
- Laura Apperson
- Kyle Arrington
- MK Asante
- Andrea Askowitz
- Julianna Baggott
- Lynne Barrett
- Jordan Bass
- Ishmael Beah
- Sandra Beasley
- Jenny Bent
- Dan Bern
- Jill Bialosky
- Emily Black
- Emily Franklin
- Tom Franklin
- Lisa Gallagher
- Roxane Gay
- Robert Gelinas
- William Giraldi
- Tod Goldberg
- Taylor Goldsmith
- Ben Greenman
- William Greenway
- Kimberly Lojewski
- Gary Louris
- Mary Beth Lundgren
- Molly Lyons
- Nick Marino
- Joyce Maynard
- Campbell McGrath
- Ron MacLean
- Tom McAllister
- Jen McClung
- Neal Pollack
- Mark Powell
- Bobbie Pyron
- Margo Rabb
- Nahid Rachlin
- Deborah Reed
- Michelle Richmond
- Ryan Rivas
- Rob Roberge
- Henry Rollins
- Nina Romano
- Kathleen Rooney
- Robert Root
- Jane Roper
- Michael Ruhlman
- Richard Blanco
- Jenna Blum
- Charles Bock
- Lisa Borders
- John Brandon
- Eve Bridburg
- Stanley Brinks
- Jim Brock
- Derrick C. Brown
- Mahogany L. Browne
- Nickole Brown
- Christine Buckley
- Don Bullens
- Augusten Burroughs
- Robert Olen Butler
- Bonnie Jo Campbell
- Kevin Canty
- Stephanie Elizondo Griest
- Jim Gustafson
- Barbara Hamby
- Artis Henderson
- Sue Henshon
- Kristin Hersh
- Michael Hettich
- Carl Hiaasen
- Nathan Hill
- Shane Hinton
- Karen McElmurray
- John McNally
- Susannah Meadows
- Joe Meno
- Kathryn Miles
- Joseph Millar
- Rhett Miller
- Jesse Millner
- Lyn Millner
- CD Mitchell
- Richard Russo
- John K. Samson
- John Sayles
- Julia Scheeres
- Christopher Schelling
- John Schimmel
- Mark Evan Schwartz
- Danielle Sellers
- Jennifer Senior
- Jim Shepard
- Karen Shepard
- Abby Sher
- George Singleton
- Lauren Small
- Christine Sneed
- Laurel Snyder
- Nick Carbo
- Margaret Cardillo
- Ron Carlson
- Christopher Castellani
- Tom Chiarella
- Alicia Lynn Clancy
- Kevin Clark
- Brock Clarke
- Joe Clifford
- Camille Cline
- Sloane Crosley
- Eugene Cross
- Ron Currie Jr.
- Jim Daniels
- Edwidge Danticat
- John Darnielle
- Alice Hoffman
- Ann Hood
- Jay Hopler
- John Hoppenthaler
- Karl Iagnemma
- Kristen Iversen
- Major Jackson
- Jessica Jacobs
- Leslie Jamison
- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
- Kimberly Johnson
- Debra Monroe
- Dito Montiel
- Alastair Moock
- Dinty Moore
- Keith Lee Morris
- Leonard Nash
- Sena Jeter Naslund
- Jeff Newberry
- Annemarie Ni. Churreain
- Linda Oatman Hill
- Wesley Stace
- Michael Steinberg
- JL Stermer
- Megan Stielstra
- Parker Stockman
- Darin Strauss
- Thomas Swick
- Ann Kidd Taylor
- Johnny Temple
- Jeffrey Thomson
- Karen Tolchin
- Martin Tolchin
- Susan Tolchin
- Sarah Tomlinson
- Nicole Tourtelot
- Dean Davis
- Erica Dawson
- Larry Doyle
- Andre Dubus III
- John Dufresne
- Denise Duhamel
- Camille Dungy
- Carmen Edington
- Janice Eidus
- Stephen Elliott
- Wayne Falbey
- Beth Ann Fennelly
- MJ Fievre
- Craig Finn
- Nick Flynn
- Gina Frangello
- Christopher Joyce
- Heidi Julavits
- Sue Monk Kidd
- David Kirby
- Walter Kirn
- Keith Kopka
- Christina Baker Kline
- Dorianne Laux
- Allison Langer
- Jeanne Leiby
- Julia Livshin
- Tim O’Brien
- Robert Olmstead
- Jennifer Gill O'Neil
- Susan Orlean
- Alan Michael Parker
- Jeff Parker
- Tim Parrish
- Benjamin Percy
- Geoffrey Philp
- Tom Piazza
- David James Poissant
- Emma Trelles
- Brian Turner
- Frank Turner
- Laura Valeri
- Ian Vasquez
- Judith Viorst
- Willy Vlautin
- Sidney Wade
- Dan Wakefield
- Alexis Washam
- Jay Wexler
- Liza Wieland
- Robert Wilder
- Tom Williams
- Steven Womack
- Tom Zoellner
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Thanks to everyone—colleagues & friends—who offered advice, donated time & money, volunteered, and helped promote the conference:
Toggle More Info- Hillary Kaufman
- Maria Roca
- Jonathan Rose & Laura McDermott (of Palm Beach Poetry Festival)
- Amy Towne
- Andrew Foley and everyone at Sarasota News & Books
- Don Selby & Diane Boller at Poetry Daily
- ShawGuides.com
- Hollie at the Sanibel Island Bookshop
- Laura Jensen and the whole staff at Follett
- Conan Griffin & Julie Hoffman, Cathy Chestnut
- Robert and Tracy Jones
- Tristan Dufresne
- Martha Rosenthal
- Debbie Lewis
- Susan Haley
- Bud & Lee Willis
- Phil Carter
- Matthew Jacobson
- Angel Taylor
- Morgan Souza
- Rachel Wise
- Rob Hiatt
- Phoebe Azran
- Ron Hefner
- Kristin Nail
- Amy Tardif
- Allison Dieppa
- John Bond
- Tanya Hochschild
- Kevin Aho
- Linda DiGloria
- Valerie Donovan
- Britta Schulze
- Mary & Sam Walch
- Linda Campbell
- Phil Thompson
- Chealsye Bowley
- Edward Livesay
- Dan Stanford
- Becky Donlan
- Karen Lynch
- Susan Holland
- Theresa Acker
- Etienne Wasson
- Audrea Anderson
- Kristen Vaughn
- Glenn Miller
- Sterling Watson
- Kelly McCarthy
- Joe Pacheco
- Marta Lee
- Christine Caya
- Karyn Everham
- Alejandro Oquendo
- Joe Higgins
- Julie Ann Howell
- Karen Sloan
- Sheila Bolduc-Simpson
Support the Sanibel Island Writers Conference
In the interface below, choose "Other," and enter "Sanibel Island Writers Conference" in the "Leave a comment" field.We Look Forward to Seeing You on Campus.
Tom DeMarchi and Jason Elek | Directors | tdemarch@fgcu.edu | jelek@fgcu.edu
