Writers in Paradise
Steve Almond addresses the crowd in his nonfiction workshop
If you live in Southwest Florida, you are likely familiar with Sanibel Island’s charm. Turquoise waters, excellent shelling beaches, tropical flowers, and an array of wildlife cover the small, crescent-shaped island. And, since 2006, this paradisaical setting has served as the perfect backdrop to a unique writers’ conference.
The Sanibel Island Writers Conference, hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University, takes place at the beginning of each November. Tom DeMarchi and Jason Elek, both professors at FGCU in the Department of Language and Literature, spend the year making connections with poets, novelists, screenwriters, and songwriters to bring to the conference. Noted authors such as Richard Russo, Alice Hoffman, Sue Monk Kidd, and Poet Laureate Richard Blanco have given keynote addresses. Students and conference attendees from around the world rave about their experiences.
Left: John Dufresne teaches during his screenwriting workshop.
Middle: Beth Ann Fennely’s poetry workshop
I have attended the conference several times where I met the deep-voiced and deep-thinker, Benjamin Percy, author of many thrilling novels such as The Ninth Metal and The Dead Lands. (In Percy’s workshop he taught us to “forget about the Reuben and focus on the ninjas.” If that quote mystifies you, you’ll have to read his book of essays on writing entitled Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction for the secret decoder ring.)
From Naples’ own Nathan Hill, the New York Times bestselling novelist of The Nix and Wellness, I learned about x-ray writing and the psychology of reading literary fiction. I’ve joined other writing workout enthusiasts by getting up early to perform morning writing sessions with John Dufresne and his intriguing prompts. I listened to poetry readings by Beth Ann Fennelley and Mahogany Brown, laughed at the wry essays of Sloan Crosley, and howled as Steve Almond read his deconstruction of “Africa” by Toto.
Every year, about 200 writers (from notebook scribblers to published novelists) descend upon the secluded Big Arts complex on Sanibel for four days of workshops taught on every kind of writing, from memoir and personal essay to fiction and poetry. Panel discussions led by literary agents and editors from the publishing world answer the big questions about getting published. A unique component of the conference is the inclusion of songwriting workshops and exclusive performances by musicians such as Taylor Goldsmith, Frank Turner, and Gary Louris.
Everywhere in between these workshops, discussions, readings, and performances are unstructured and magical moments. The evening cocktail hour gives conference-goers a chance to mingle and connect with visiting authors and each other. Books are available to purchase and press into your favorite writer’s hands for a personal signature. I always left the conference feeling energized and motivated to write the next page.
The future of the Sanibel Island Writers Conference is in jeopardy. The devastation from recent hurricanes and a sizable downturn in available funding make next year’s conference uncertain. DeMarchi and Elek are appealing to writers, poets, notebook scribblers, and especially readers to help them keep this priceless experience alive.
For where would readers be without writers?
Visit fgcu.edu/siwc to find out more and help keep the conference alive!
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