Annual UND Writers Conference
The UND Writers Conference has featured some of the most well-known authors of the 20th and 21st centuries at all stages of their careers.
Founded in 1970 and held every year since, the UND Writers Conference is a three-day event featuring six to eight authors annually. Past UND Writers Conference authors include Gwendolyn Brooks, August Wilson, Salman Rushdie, Tommy Orange, and Colson Whitehead. Throughout our decades-long history, we've remained committed to sustaining the value of literature and creative writing for all in our community through our public workshops, our outreach efforts, and our three-day literary festival each March.
Our mission is to provide a forum for those in North Dakota and the Upper Plains to discuss how the arts impact our everyday lives. It focuses on the work of the invited authors, poets and artisans, as well as their extemporaneous interaction with attendees. All Conference events are free and open to the public with recordings uploaded to its digital collection, creating an open access opportunity for a rigorous exploration of the literary arts, not otherwise available, to all.
57th Annual UND Writers Conference
"Fables & Futures" | March 25–27, 2026
Join us on the UND campus or online for the "Fables & Futures" conference on March 25–27, 2026! We're excited to share an expanded lineup of conference events, including more community craft sessions, panel discussions, and author events. Featured authors include Booker Prize-winner George Saunders, Maria Dahvana Headley, Anna Maria Hong, Megan Kamalei Kakimoto, Ananda Lima, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera, and Amber Sparks. Joining our authors this year are featured artist Beatriz Cortez and featured literary agent Penelope Burns.
Visit the welcome page for the 57th Annual UND Writers Conference to learn more about our featured authors, featured artist, featured literary agent, and the conference schedule. In-person and online registration are now open for this year's UND Writers Conference.
National Endowment for the Arts
The 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, and 2024 UND Writers Conferences were sponsored in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
