Surrey International Writers' Conference 2026
“As I say to every writer I meet, and anybody else who will listen, Surrey International Writers' Conference is the best-kept secret of the writing and book publishing community in the Pacific Northwest.
Some of the best writers, editors, and agents in the industry are present every year, sharing their knowledge and expertise. Writers working across every genre travel from around the world to learn here.
The community is so friendly and supportive that it feels like a very large, tight-knit family.”
Sean Cranbury
SiWC 2026
Five days of learning, exchange, and literary community.
The 33rd Surrey International Writers' Conference runs October 23 to 25, 2026, with master classes on October 21 and 22. The conference offers in-person, hybrid, and online programming for writers at every stage of their work.
My sessions
Two ways into the work.
One session looks outward at the durable relationships that carry a writing life. The other looks inward at the decisions that give a page its authority.
Practical orientation
The Act of Constant Relevance: Practical Marketing for Writers
A first public expression of the ideas behind Acts of Constant Resonance.
Writers are often told they need a platform, a brand, or a social media strategy. This session offers something more useful: a way to think about relevance as an ongoing creative practice rather than a performance requirement.
We will explore how writers stay visible to readers, publishers, and literary communities through small, sustainable actions that grow naturally from the work itself. You will leave with practical approaches you can use immediately, whether you are preparing a first manuscript or building a long-term writing life.
We will demystify newsletters, storefronts, and thoughtful social media use while keeping the writing at the centre. By the end of the session, you will have a clear, writer-centred strategy that grows with you, protects your time, and keeps you close to your creative work.
Close reading
Pulling Apart the Paragraph: Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sowerand Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind
Openings establish what counts as truth inside a story.
In this close-reading craft session, we will pull apart the opening pages of two legendary and influential novels: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
Together, we will examine how early narrative decisions shape voice, structure, belief, and narrative authority across an entire novel. You will leave with practical strategies for strengthening the foundations of your own manuscript from page one onward.