Aspen Words

Craft Talk: Conversation in Motion: Dialogue & Gesture in Character Development
2024-06-26 04:10 - 16:40 (America/Denver)
Wednesday, June 26, 4:10-4:40 p.m.
Craft Talk: Conversation in Motion: Dialogue & Gesture in Character Development
Speaker: Peter Orner
https://support.aspeninstitute.org/event/2024-summer-words-public-panels/e585336

Craft Talk: The Plot Thickens: Creating Narratives that Hook Readers
2024-06-27 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Denver)
Thursday, June 27 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Craft Talk: The Plot Thickens: Creating Narratives that Hook Readers
Speakers: Kelly Fremon Craig, Angie Kim
https://support.aspeninstitute.org/event/2024-summer-words-public-panels/e585336

Drawing to a Close: Sustaining Inspiration Beyond the Conference
2024-06-27 16:15 - 17:30 (America/Denver)
Thursday, June 27 4:15-5:30 p.m.
Drawing to a Close: Sustaining Inspiration Beyond the Conference
Speakers: Mahogany Browne, Jim Shepard, Karen Shepard, Angie Kim
Moderator: Adrienne Brodeur
https://support.aspeninstitute.org/event/2024-summer-words-public-panels/e585336

2024 Community Read Book Pick-Up
2024-07-17 12:00 - 18:00 (America/Denver) | Pitkin County Library, 120 N. Mill St., Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Aspen Words and Pitkin County Library are thrilled to present the 2024 Community Read, which celebrates literature, unites readers around a work of fiction and ignites meaningful conversation on the vital social issues explored in the novel, Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, winner of the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize.
Join us at Pitkin County Library’s front lawn to pick-up your free copy of the award-winning novel on Wednesday, July 17 between 12-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.

AWN: Summer Soiree
2024-07-18 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver) | Village Smithy, 26 S 3rd St., Carbondale, CO, 81623, United States
AWN members join us for the Summer Soiree! Enjoy heavy appetizers, AWN’s new signature “Working Title” cocktail, a magic show by Doc Eason and an open mic.

AYC: The Wordplay & Expression Summer Camp
2024-07-22 10:00 - 2024-07-25 14:30 (America/Denver)
The Wordplay & Expression Summer Camp
Open to incoming 6th-9th graders
July 22-25
10 am- 2:30 pm
Join Aspen Words and Jess Barnum at Aspen Youth Center Monday, July 22 – Thursday, July 25 for a Wordplay & Expression Summer Camp. This workshop will provide a place for you to focus on everything wordplay, writing, voice, creativity, and expression. You’ll self-discover, empower, and manifest your own creativity, confidence, intuition, success, and other magical magic that pops up for you along the way. You’ll engage in a variety of activities such as wordplay writing, reading for inspiration, and stage performances. There will be time to learn and create together as a group, and there will be time to independently create and showcase what you self-design. This camp is a place for you to be the inspiration that you are! Plan to pack a water bottle, snacks, SPF, a long sleeve top layer, a hat, sunglasses, a journal, and a laptop (optional). Registration is required!
Price: $100 – Scholarships available *Registration is limited*
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

AWN: Self Publishing Panel
2024-08-15 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Denver)

2024 Community Read Beyond the Book: Hamlet Movie Weekend
2024-09-13 08:00 - 2024-09-14 17:00, 2024-09-14 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Denver) | Pitkin County Library, 120 N. Mill St., Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Aspen Words in partnership with the Pitkin County Library Cinema presents a “Hamlet” movie weekend.
Join us in the Pitkin County Library Dunaway Community Meeting Room on Friday and Saturday, September 13 & 14 to watch back-t0-back silver screen renditions of “Hamlet” 1996 and 1948.
Exact times and registration details to come.
All Community Read Events are free and open to all.

AWN: Member Reading with Feedback
2024-09-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver) | Bonfire Coffee, 433 Main St., Carbondale, Colorado, 81623
Thursday, September 19 at Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St Carbondale), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting is one of the more important ones in our schedule. It provides the opportunity for you to support your fellow writers and/or be supported. We will be having member readings with optional feedback. Refreshments provided.
Reading Rules:
Readings are 4 minutes max (yes, we enforce this). Please practice and time yourself.
Constructive feedback (1 minute max) per reviewer = what you liked best + one area you suggest the writer take another look at.
Email Mallory Kaufman for more information on becoming a member.

2024 Fall Writing Workshop with Mary Robinette Kowal (Two Workshops in One)
2024-10-06 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Denver)
Sunday, October 6th, 9am to 4pm (with a 1-hour lunch break). Mary Robinette Kowal will be teaching two of her most popular topics:
Hiding Exposition in Plain Sight
In this workshop, we learn how to give our readers all the information they need to know about the setting we created, without drowning them in information. Together we learn the art of subtly expositing without showing our authorial hand.
Endings: How to Wrap Things Up
Very often, writers get to the two-thirds mark in a work and bog down, sometimes abandoning it to move on to something shinier. Why does this happen? It’s a place at which we move from raising questions for the reader to needing to answer them. This change in mode requires a different set of tools than the beginning of a story, while needing to appear part of a seamless whole. In this workshop, we’ll look at how to wrap up loose ends, decide which things we can leave dangling, and what elements make a strong closing sentence.
General Admission: $95 | AWN Member: $35

Learn more about the Aspen Writers Network (AWN)
and become a member today!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Spare Man,The Glamourist Histories series, Ghost Talkers, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is part of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses and has received the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, four Hugo awards, the Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov’s, Uncanny, and several Year’s Best anthologies. Mary Robinette, a professional puppeteer, also performs as a voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), recording fiction for authors including Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and John Scalzi. She lives in Nashville with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters. Visit maryrobinettekowal.com.

AN EVENING WITH MARY LOUISE KELLY MODERATED BY BREEZE RICHARDSON
2024-10-09 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt, CO, 81621
Join us for a conversation with 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize ceremony moderator, novelist and host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Mary Louise Kelly.
Moderator: Aspen Public Radio’s Executive Director, Breeze Richardson.
This event is free and open to all, registration is requested.
The event is currently at capacity,
if you are interested in attending plan to arrive when the doors open at 5:30 p.m.
DOORS: Open at 5:30 p.m.
EVENT: Conversation 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
SEATING: General admission and available on a first come, first served basis.
Come early and purchase a drink at the TACAW bar.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Louise Kelly is a host of “All Things Considered,” NPR’s award-winning afternoon newsmagazine. Previously, she spent a decade as national security correspondent for NPR News, and she’s kept that focus in her role as anchor. That’s meant taking “All Things Considered” to Russia, North Korea, Iran and beyond.
She’s published two novels, “Anonymous Sources” and “The Bullet,” as well as the New York Times bestselling memoir, “It. Goes. So. Fast. The Year of No Do-Overs.” Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, among other publications, and she serves as a contributing writer at The Atlantic.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Breeze Richardson joined the Aspen Public Radio team in June 2021. Highly-respected in public media for her strategic planning and communications background, she has a passion for telling stories and producing community-focused programming.
Since arriving in the Roaring Fork Valley, Breeze has been on stage exploring disability and inclusion with 1A’s Jenn White, discussing the importance of local journalism for Aspen Institute’s Society of Fellows, and in conversation with Tockukwu Okafor, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, and 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize winner Jamil Jan Kochaifor Aspen Words. In February 2023, she took the stage at the Wheeler Opera House with NPR’s Ailsa Chang to lead a conversation about making big career changes, representation in media, and the impact of investigative journalism.
Breeze currently serves as President of the Rocky Mountain Community Radio coalition, and is an elected member of the Western States Public Radio Board of Directors. In 2024, she completed the Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative (PMDLI) hosted by the Riley Institute at Furman University, and is a proud alumni of the Aspen Institute Hurst Leaders Forum.

AWN: 45 Ways to Turn up the Tension with April Henry | Third Thursday October
2024-10-17 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver)
Thursday, October 17 at Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St Carbondale), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Join AWN for 45 Ways to Turn up the Tension: no matter what genre you’re writing, these 45 powerful and proven techniques will make readers feel like the pages are flying by.
Taught by April Henry, the New York Times bestselling author of 29 mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Edgar-award winning and New York Times-bestselling author April Henry knows how to kill you in a two-dozen different ways. She makes up for a peaceful childhood in an intact home by killing off fictional characters. There was one detour on April’s path to destruction: when she was 12 she sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to noted children’s author Roald Dahl. He liked it so much he showed it to his editor, who asked if she could publish it in Puffin Post, an international children’s magazine. By the time April was in her 30s, she had started writing about hit men, kidnappers, and drug dealers. She has published 29 mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults, with more to come. She is known for meticulously researching her novels to get the details right.
Email Mallory Kaufman for more information on becoming a member.

AWN: Fairytales with Kim Bussing | Third Thursday in November
2024-11-21 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver)
Thursday, November 21 at Bonfire Coffee Company (433 Main Street, Carbondale, CO 81623) 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Kim Bussing will ask AWN members to look at the psychology and craft of fairy tales to sharpen your manuscript, weave magic into both the fantastic and the mundane, and overcome roadblocks for captivating stories.
CRAFT TALK DESCRIPTION
Fairy tales are the most honest forms of storytelling. Through magic and metaphor, they confront what is otherwise unspeakable. Many of the stories we tell are built off the bones of fairy tales, from how we imagine characters, create intrigue, conjure settings, and confront what haunts us. Whether you’re writing memoir or science fiction, a children’s novel or a sweeping multigenerational drama, the tenets of fairy tales are integral to our approach to stories. This class will look at the psychology and craft of fairy tales to sharpen your manuscript, weave magic into both the fantastic and the mundane, and overcome roadblocks for captivating stories. It will both teach elements of craft while providing opportunities to generate new work in your prose genre of choice.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Kim Bussing is an author of fairy tales for children and adults. Her first series, The Princess Swap, is forthcoming from Penguin Random House beginning in 2025. Her short fiction has won several grants and awards, and she’s helped tell stories for brands including Hilton, Marriott, Audi, and more. She holds an MFA from the University of Arizona, where she taught creative writing and was co-editor of Sonora Review. She regularly speaks on the power of storytelling, leads creative workshops, and coaches writers and entrepreneurs.
Email Mallory Kaufman for more information on becoming a member.

AWN: Holiday Party
2024-12-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver) | Bonfire Coffee, 433 Main St., Carbondale, Colorado, 81623
Thursday, December 19 at Bonfire Coffee Company (433 Main Street, Carbondale, CO 81623) 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Join us for a festive and fun gathering. Choose a beloved book from your shelf to share with other members, or support a local business by visiting White River Books in Carbondale, Bookbinders in Basalt, or Explore Booksellers in Aspen to purchase one. Dedicate the book with your most valuable piece of writing advice, and wrap it up to share at the exchange. Refreshments provided.

AWN Meeting Thursday January 16
2025-01-16 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Bonfire Coffee, 433 Main St., Carbondale, Colorado, 81623
Connect With Your Writer Muses & Empower Your Writing
Thursday, January 16 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
In this in-person workshop, Jessica Barnum will share insights from her recently published book, Dear Writer Muses, I Am Here. You’ll discuss the “seek and receive” concepts of the writer mindset, consider the various types of Writer Muses, engage in a mindfulness activity to connect with Writer Muses, and practice the personification letter-writing strategy for empowering you and your writing. Bring a journal!
BECOME A MEMBER

Winter Words with Ayad Akhtar
2025-01-29 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | Paepcke Auditorium, 1000 N 3rd St., Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Step into a thrilling exploration of AI, art, and the human psyche with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar as he unveils his new play, McNeal. This event will feature Akhtar discussing his most recent broadway debut and an actor delivering a live reading from the play, offering a glimpse into the story of Jacob McNeal—a novelist at odds with his own AI obsession— as he grapples with the limits of creativity and the haunting possibilities of artificial intelligence.
Moderated by Maurice (Mo) LaMee

About the Author
Akhtar is a novelist and playwright. His work has been published and performed in over two dozen languages. He is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Edith Wharton Citation of Merit for Fiction and an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Akhtar is the author of “Homeland Elegies” (Little, Brown & Co.), which The Washington Post called “a tour de force” and The New York Times called “a beautiful novel…that had echoes of “The Great Gatsby” and that circles, with pointed intellect, the possibilities and limitations of American life.” His first novel, “American Dervish” (Little, Brown & Co.), was published in over 20 languages. As a playwright, he has written “Junk” (Lincoln Center, Broadway; Kennedy Prize for American Drama, Tony nomination); “Disgraced” (Lincoln Center, Broadway; Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony nomination); “The Who & The What” (Lincoln Center); and “The Invisible Hand” (NYTW; Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award, Olivier and Evening Standard nominations). Among other honors, Akhtar is the recipient of the Steinberg Playwrighting Award, the Nestroy Award, the Erwin Piscator Award, as well as fellowships from the American Academy in Rome, MacDowell, the Sundance Institute and Yaddo, where he serves as a Board Director. In 2021, Akhtar was named the New York State Author, succeeding Colson Whitehead, by the New York State Writers Institute.

Winter Words with Kevin Fedarko
2025-02-05 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | TACAW, 400 Robinson St., Basalt, CO, 81621
In-person tickets for this event are SOLD OUT! We are offering a virtual season pass for $35, which provides access to all three Winter Words 2025 livestreams. If you would like to join a waitlist for the in-person event, please register here.
Join bestselling author Kevin Fedarko as he recounts the untamed adventure behind “A Walk in the Park,” narrating his grueling 750-mile trek through the Grand Canyon—an awe-inspiring journey across perilous cliffs, hidden histories, and breathtaking vistas. With humor, humility, and deep reverence, he transports readers to the edge of endurance and into the heart of America’s most majestic landscape. Fedarko is also the author of “The Emerald Mile.”
Moderated by Daniel Shaw

About the Author

Kevin Fedarko is a seasoned author and journalist renowned for his exploration of the American Southwest and his fervent advocacy for environmental conservation. He is the author of “The Emerald Mile,” an epic story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon and “A Walk in the Park,” the true story of a spectacular misadventure in the Grand Canyon. He has been a staff writer at Time magazine, where he worked primarily on the foreign affairs desk, and a senior editor at Outside, where he covered outdoor adventure. His writing has appeared in National Geographic, the New York Times and Esquire, among other publications. He and his wife, Annette Avery, owner of Bright Side Bookshop, live in Flagstaff, Arizona, where they spend as much of their free time as possible hiking in the Grand Canyon or in mountains just outside of town.

Thank you to our venue partner

Winter Words with Lauren Groff
2025-02-12 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver) | Paepcke Auditorium, 1000 N 3rd St., Aspen, CO, 81611, United States
Lauren Groff will be in conversation discussing her most recent novel “The Vaster Wilds,” which plunges readers into colonial America’s wilderness through the eyes of a young servant girl fleeing the famine of Jamestown. As she navigates nature’s brutal beauty and the edges of survival, Groff crafts an electrifying exploration of resilience, self-discovery, and the precarious line between civilization and wildness.

Moderated by Mitzi Rapkin

About the Author

Lauren Groff is a three-time National Book Award finalist and The New York Times–bestselling author of the novels “The Monsters of Templeton,” “Arcadia, Fates and Furies, Matrix” and “The Vaster Wilds,” and the celebrated short story collections “Delicate Edible Birds and Florida.” She has won The Story Prize, the ABA Indies’ Choice Award, France’s Grand Prix de l’Héroïne and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her work regularly appears in The New Yorker, The Atlantic and elsewhere. Her work has been translated into thirty-six languages. She lives in Gainesville, Florida.

AWN Meeting Thursday February 20
2025-02-20 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Bonfire Coffee, 433 Main St., Carbondale, Colorado, 81623
A very special in-person workshop this Thursday, the 20th – What Prose Writers Can Learn From Screen Writers
In this in-person workshop, scriptwriter and novelist Scott Lasser will teach you the four main skills prose writers can learn from scriptwriters: structure, scene writing, concision, and dialogue. He will also share how the game is played in Hollywood. Attached are the support materials for the workshop. From Scott:
“Here’s a 17-page pdf that we’ll use for reference on the 20th. It’s mostly snippets of scripts and outlines that we’ll use to discuss various points and skills. They don’t need to read it ahead of time, BUT…if they take a look at the David Mamet memo (pages 7-11), they’ll likely find it useful.”

Scott Lasser is a scriptwriter, novelist, and journalist. He has written pilots for Sony and Fox, among others. He developed Jackson State for HBO, a project set in the world of amateur baseball and the opioid epidemic. He’s also written for HBO’s True Detective. Lasser’s first novel (Battle Creek/William Morrow) was optioned by Scott Rudin/Paramount; Lasser wrote an adaption of his fourth novel, Say Nice Things About Detroit (Norton), for Warner Brothers and Steve Carell’s Carousel Productions. His journalism has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and elsewhere.
Connect With Your Writer Muses & Empower Your Writing
Thursday, February 20 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
BECOME A MEMBER

Apply for Summer Words by Wednesday, February 26
2025-02-26 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Denver)
Summer Words Writers Conference (June 22-27, 2025)
Deadline to apply for juried workshops: Wednesday, Feb. 26
$35 application fee and writing sample required for all juried workshops.
Please carefully read the manuscript guidelines before applying.

Juried Workshops:

Fiction: Led by Steve Almond, Vanessa Chan,
& Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Memoir: Led by Héctor Tobar
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Led by P. Djèlí Clark

Screenwriting: Led by Christina Lazaridi
Apply for Juried Workshops Here

Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlist Announcement
2025-03-12 08:00 - 22:00 (America/Denver)
The Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlist will be announced on March 12, 2025.
The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”) and Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.

AWN March Meeting: Memoir workshop with Marcia Butler
2025-03-20 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Bonfire Coffee, 433 Main St., Carbondale, Colorado, 81623
Join us for the AWN third Thursday, March meeting, featuring a special memoir workshop with acclaimed author Marcia Butler. This interactive session will explore the art of personal storytelling, offering insights on structure, voice and crafting compelling narratives from real-life experiences. Whether you’re just beginning your memoir or refining a work-in-progress, this workshop will provide valuable tools and inspiration.
Connect With Your Writer Muses & Empower Your Writing
Thursday, February 20 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
BECOME A MEMBER

AWN April Meeting: Pitch Workshop
2025-04-17 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver)
Connect With Your Writer Muses & Empower Your Writing
Thursday, April 17 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Perfect Your Pitch a.k.a. Find the Heart of Your Story
Third Thursday – April 17, at Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St., Carbondale), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Not sure why you need to pitch a story if it’s not even finished yet? Identifying and being able to clearly articulate the heart of your story is key to writing and finishing your book, as well as selling it (to a publisher or the public). This workshop will help you tighten up your narrative arc to make your story more readable and more publishable. Members will have the chance to workshop their projects.
This workshop will also help you feel confident about entering a conversation with an agent or editor at the Summer Words writers conference.
BECOME A MEMBER

Aspen Words Literary Prize Ceremony
2025-04-23 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
WINNER ANNOUNCED: APRIL 23
at the Morgan Library & Museum
225 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016
Program runs: 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET
Moderated by Bilal Qureshi
JOIN US!
General Admission (FREE): Donation Appreciated
Your ticket includes:
– First come, first served seating at the ceremony
– Access to the wine and hors d’oeuvres reception following the ceremony
Register here
Livestream Access (FREE): Donation Appreciated
Access includes:
-A link to view the event in real-time 4:30-5:30 p.m. MT/6:30-7:30 p.m. ET
Register here
VIP Ticket & Tour
Your ticket includes:
– Docent tour of the secrets and rarities of the Morgan Library & Museum
– A prosecco toast
– Premium reserved seating for the ceremony
– Access to the wine and hors d’oeuvres reception following the ceremony
– A copy of a finalist book
If you select a VIP ticket, please arrive at the Morgan by 5:15 p.m. ET.
Purchase tickets here
Livestream Party at Pitkin County Library (FREE): Donation Appreciated
Your ticket includes:
– Real-time viewing party of the Aspen Words Literary Prize Ceremony 4:30-5:30 MT
-Light refreshments and mingling
Register to attend the livestream party here!

The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.
Annually, open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States, and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. Past winners include Mohsin Hamid (2018 for “Exit West”), Tayari Jones (2019 for “An American Marriage”), Christy Lefteri (2020 for “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”), Louise Erdrich (2021 for “The Night Watchman”), Dawnie Walton (2022 for “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”), Jamil Jan Kochai (2023 for “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak”) and Isabella Hammad (2024 for “Enter Ghost”). Eligible works include novels or short story collections that address questions of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion, race or other social issues.
This event is moderated by Bilal Qureshi. Bilal Qureshi is an independent essayist, broadcaster and critic. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, NPR, The New York Times, Foreign Policy and the Criterion Collection. He wrote the column “Elsewhere” for the journal Film Quarterly from 2016 – 2023. Bilal’s radio reporting has aired across NPR’s flagship news magazines and podcasts – and on the “BBC Arts Hour”.  Bilal graduated with high distinction from the University of Virginia in 2004 and earned an M.S. in Broadcasting from the Columbia School of Journalism in 2007. He’s a recipient of the USC Getty Fellowship for Arts Journalism, the Robert Bosch Fellowship, and has served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio and Criticism. Bilal was born in Kohat, Pakistan, grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and currently divides his time between Accra and Los Angeles.

AWN May Meeting: The State of the Publishing Industry With Super-Agent Alia Hanna Habib
2025-05-15 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver)
Thursday, May 15 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The State of the Publishing Industry With Super-Agent Alia Hanna Habib
Third Thursday – May 15, at Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St., Carbondale), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Alia Hanna Habib is a literary agent and Vice President at The Gernert Company, which she joined in 2017 after starting her publishing career as a publicist at HMH and working as an agent at McCormick Literary.
Among the New York Times-bestselling and prize-winning clients she represents are Clint Smith, Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times’ 1619 Project Book Series, Nathan Thrall, Merve Emre, Adam Serwer, Judy Batalion, and Hanif Abdurraqib. Her authors have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the LA Times Book Prize, among many others, and have been shortlisted for the Edgar Awards, PEN Awards and National Book Award.
She is on the board of n+1 literary magazine and on the creative council of Aspen Words. She was profiled by New York Magazine for their special issue on “The 49 Most Powerful New Yorkers (You’ve Never Heard Of).”
BECOME A MEMBER

2025 Book Ball
2025-06-13 17:45 - 21:30 (America/Denver)
Aspen Words’ 2025 Book Ball promises to be a real page-turner! Join author and keynote speaker Hampton Sides for an unforgettable experience with fellow literature lovers while enjoying cocktails and dinner at the historic Hotel Jerome. Book Ball raises critical funds to support Aspen Words programs, including writers in the schools, scholarships for aspiring writers and community talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors.
THANK YOU TO OUR HOST COMMITTEE
Suzanne Bober and Steve Kahn | Chris and Andrea Bryan | Sue and Ron Hopkinson | Beth and Josh Mondry | Dave and Sian Oberman

About the Keynote Speaker

HAMPTON SIDES is best-known for his gripping non-fiction adventure stories set in war or depicting epic expeditions of discovery and exploration. He is the author of the bestselling histories “Ghost Soldiers,” “Blood and Thunder,” “Hellhound On His Trail,” “In the Kingdom of Ice,” and, most recently, “The Wide Wide Sea.”

AWN June Meeting: Member Readings
2025-06-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Denver)
Thursday, June 19 at Bonfire Coffee from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
BECOME A MEMBER
Member Readings with Optional Feedback
Third Thursday – June 19, at Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St., Carbondale), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting is one of the more important ones in our schedule. It provides the opportunity for you to support your fellow writers and/or be supported. We will be having member readings with optional feedback.

Reading Rules:
· Sign up in person at the meeting
· Readings are 4 minutes max (yes, we enforce this). Please practice and time yourself.
· Constructive feedback (1 minute max) per reviewer = what you liked best + one area you suggest the writer take another look at.

2025 Summer Words Writers Conference
2025-06-22 08:00 - 2025-06-27 17:00 (America/Denver)
Join us June 22-27 2025, in Snowmass Village for inspiring workshops, readings and craft talks at the Viewline Resort.
General admission workshops including Book Branding, Generative Writing and a Readers Retreat are filled on a first come, first served basis until capacity is reached. Register today!
Recognized as one of the nation’s top literary gatherings, Summer Words is a six-day celebration of words, stories and ideas held annually in an idyllic Rocky Mountain setting.
Summer Words 2025 will return to Snowmass Village, Colorado, a vibrant community just 9 miles from Aspen, with incredible mountain vistas in addition to 2.8 million adjacent acres of wilderness open for activities and exploration. Snowmass is home to 30+ restaurants, shopping, unique special events and music.
The faculty lineup and workshop descriptions for Summer Words 2025 are now available.
Learn more about Summer Words here.

Book Branding: From Manuscripts to Momentum with Taryn Roeder -- Register Today!
2025-06-22 09:00 - 2025-06-27 11:00 (America/Denver)
Registration for general application workshops is open now!

General admission workshops including Book Branding and Generative Writing are filled on a first come, first served basis until capacity is reached. Register today!
Daily workshops Monday – Friday from 9-11am.

Taryn Roeder is executive director of publicity at Abrams Books, leading the publicity departments for the Adult and Children’s divisions. Taryn has 20+ years of experience in book publicity and has worked with major figures in politics, science, art, and music, as well as on literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. Taryn was previously senior director of publicity at HarperCollins. While managing a team of publicists there, Taryn worked on many titles, including the instant New York Times bestseller “A Sacred Oath” by former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and “Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times” by Azar Nafisi. Prior to that, Taryn was at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for 17 years, rising in leadership to become the vice president, director of publicity. She worked with New York Times bestselling authors Temple Grandin, Guy Raz and Sinead O’Connor, and on Lori Gottlieb’s “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.” She led the publicity campaigns for many beloved debut novels, including instant New York Times bestsellers “Black Buck” by Mateo Askaripour and“Friday Black ”by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, as well as on Adrienne Brodeur’s highly acclaimed memoir “Wild Game.” While it is true that some books are easier to promote than others, Taryn swears she loves all of her authors equally
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Workshop Description
From Manuscript to Momentum: Elevate Your Book’s Success
You’ve written (or nearly completed) your book—so what’s next? How can you set yourself up for success and best shepherd your book into the world? And what does success truly mean for you? In this dynamic and interactive workshop, we’ll demystify the world of book publicity and promotion and equip you with actionable tools to navigate the process confidently. You’ll receive personalized guidance to craft a compelling elevator pitch and uncover your most engaging hooks and talking points. We’ll explore strategies to amplify your author platform, strengthen your media savvy, and build your press contacts. You’ll gain insider insights into the book publicity timeline, learn how to create impactful press kit materials, and discover opportunities to write and place book-adjacent content such as opinion pieces and curated reading lists. We’ll also dive into the value of author tours, festival appearances, and other events, and how to make them work for you. Through hands-on exercises and tailored assignments, you’ll leave this workshop with clear strategies to confidently promote your book while staying true to your goals and values as an author.
This is a 5-day workshop, meeting for 2-hours a day.
2025 Tuition:
2025 5-Day Inside the World of Book Publishing & Book Branding: $1,150
Tuition Includes:

Faculty instruction and materials
Access to all public panels throughout the week
Breakfast and lunch at the Viewline Resort (Monday through Friday)
Opening and closing receptions
Discounted lodging rates at our conference site, the Viewline Resort in Snowmass Village, Colorado.
Social activities such as guided hikes, an open mic evening and informal gatherings.

More About The 2025 Summer Words Writers Conference

June 22-27 in Snowmass Village, CO

Join us June 22-27 2025, in Snowmass Village for inspiring workshops, readings and craft talks at the Viewline Resort.
Recognized as one of the nation’s top literary gatherings, Summer Words is a six-day celebration of words, stories and ideas held annually in an idyllic Rocky Mountain setting.
Summer Words 2025 will return to Snowmass Village, Colorado, a vibrant community just 9 miles from Aspen, with incredible mountain vistas in addition to 2.8 million adjacent acres of wilderness open for activities and exploration. Snowmass is home to 30+ restaurants, shopping, unique special events and music.
The faculty lineup and workshop descriptions for Summer Words 2025 are now available, and applications are open!
