Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia®
Our Stories Matter
WCoNA brings together the writers of the Appalachian counties of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and the northern portion of West Virginia to honor our unique canon of literature.
- Annual Legacy Conference
- Mini Conferences
- Writer Services & Awards
Our Mission For Literature In Northern Appalachia
The Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® (WCoNA) brings together writers and others interested in the region’s literature to honor our distinct body of work and to enhance the craft of our authors. WCoNA is a catalyst to inspire more novels, poetry, essays, history, memoir, drama, and other modes of literary writing that represent, in some way, northern Appalachia, and so create and promote a canon of writers and writing of northern Appalachia.
WCoNA runs entirely on volunteers, and we have a variety of positions open right now! Join us in helping northern Appalachian literature thrive.
Your donation goes toward helping us keep the costs of our conferences and other writers’ services affordable. Help us grow the canon of northern Appalachia.
Tiers for every budget with perks spelled out on one page. Put your organization in the room where the region’s writers gather each year.
Upcoming Events
WCoNA hosts mini conferences throughout the year, plus our signature Legacy Conference each year. Each gathers writers for workshops, readings, and time to write in the region that shapes the work.
2027 Book of the Year Awards
This year’s honored books. Each celebrates a book that captures the spirit of northern Appalachia.
WCoNA 2027 Is Coming Soon!
- February 26 - 27
- St. Francis University | Loretto, PA
Our yearly flagship conference is a gathering of the people who write northern Appalachia into being. Workshops sharpen the craft, readings and the keynote celebrate the work, and the hours in between connect writers who’d otherwise never meet. Come to learn, share your pages, and find your people!