Local Workshops

Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware Valley Region — A Lively Literary Hub

Downtown Philadephia, the suburbs, and beyond.

  • Alison Hicks leads two Amherst Writers & Artists workshops, one in Havertown and one in Center City, under the name the Greater Philadelphia Writers Wordshop Studio. Alison Hicks taught me everything I know about leading a workshop, so if you live closer to Havertown or are looking for a workshop in Center City, I highly recommend seeing if she has space.
  • Robbin Farr and Judith Lagana, publishers of The River Heron Review lead Amherst Writers & Artists workshops and retreats in Lahaska, PA and offer online workshops as the River Heron Writers’ Workshops
  • Louise Bierig offers similar workshops at ArtSpace Lansdowne, which is only one stop outside Philadelphia on SEPTA’s R3 line. Free parking. Lansdowne Writers’ Workshop 
  • The free magazine Philadelphia Stories publishes on a quarterly basis, offers workshops, and runs the Push to Publish Conference in Rosemont, PA every fall in October. Follow the Rosemont College MFA program and Philadelphia Stories on social media to receive invitations to free write-ins, readings, and paid workshops.
  • Janet Benton offers mentoring services and workshops at The Word Studio http://www.thewordstudio.us
  • Blue Stoop offers writing classes and workshops downtown, and they have the most comprehensive list of local literary events and resources I’ve seen.
  • Room to write meets virtually on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT. Room to Right is an open-armed, nonjudgmental, donation-based, virtual writing group. Elizabeth Chesla, MA, CYT and Tracie Nichols, MA, IAC, created Room to Write because they were writers with lives that made it hard to carve out headspace, heart space, and desk space to write. We missed our craft. We missed the company of womxn discovering their writing voices. So, we made Room to Write where we welcome womxn and non-binary writers of all experience levels to come together and explore with words. See the website for all details.
  • Creative Light Factory is a nonprofit 501 (c)3 located in Spring City, PA that affords affordable, secure workspace for writers of all levels. They also offer ongoing programs, events, and workshops live when possible, but currently via Zoom. The Director of the Philadelphia Writers’ Workshop, Rachel Kobin, recently took The Artist’s Way workshop led by Patty Kline Capaldo and enjoyed it immensely.

Children’s and Middle-Grade Books

  • Eric Bell, middle-grade author, and PWW alumnus offers workshops for anyone interested in writing middle grade and young adult fiction. Read about his workshops on his website.
  • Children’s Book Writers: The official blog of the Eastern Pennsylvania Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) carries the latest information about workshops and conferences for children’s book writers in this region.

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