Our Mission
Writers from, living in, or writing about the region of northern Appalachia have yet to be distinguished with a regional identity. The diverse peoples, places, cultures, folk traditions, history, landscapes, and geography of northern Appalachia are uniquely inspiring, and their stories deserve to be represented and valued as a distinct literature.
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.
Our Vision
Northern Appalachia is distinguished by its diversity of people and places. Our region’s writing represents our many voices, and WCoNA welcomes everyone.
The voice of this remarkable part of the country will be acknowledged, appreciated, and preserved.
We Set Out to Build Four Things
From the start, PJ Piccirillo set out to build four things: a conference, a literary review, a publishing imprint, and a canon. At a meeting in Brookville, Pennsylvania on September 8, 2018, twelve people from across northern Appalachia ratified that mission. Here is where each one stands.
A conference.
Held since 2019, now the Legacy Conference each year plus mini conferences throughout the year.
A literary review.
The Northern Appalachia Review, founded alongside WCoNA, with PJ Piccirillo as chief editor.
A publishing imprint.
Built with Sunbury Press and now running as the Catamount imprint, breathing life into the local canon.
A canon.
The ongoing work of gathering and naming the literature of this region, author by author.
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.