2024 Bear River Writers’ Conference Competition

for Advanced Creative Writing Students at Wayne State University

The Bear River Writers’ Conference is a five-day conference organized by the University of Michigan and held at Camp Michigania in Boyne City, Michigan. In 2024,  the conference will take place  from Thursday, August 29, through Monday, September 2, which is Labor Day. Events will include workshops in assorted genres, panels, craft talks, and readings by both faculty and participants. 

All scholarship recipients must be enrolled at Wayne State in the 2024–2025 Academic Year. Undergraduates who have taken or are currently taking an advanced creative writing course (English 5860, 5870, 5880, or 5885) and graduate students who have taken a graduate creative writing course (English 6006, 6800, or 7800) are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students who have not previously attended the conference. The number of scholarships awarded may vary from year to year. 

Submit all materials via Wayne State’s Submittable portal by April 30, 2024.

Materials should include:

1.  A completed application form

2.  A ten-page writing sample of poetry or prose

3.  A 250–500 word statement of your professional and creative goals

4.  Unofficial WSU transcripts

Students who wish to learn more about the conference can read about it at the conference website:

https://lsa.umich.edu/bearriver

Please note: Students who are awarded scholarships through this competition will not need to register through the general registration system on the website. This is a separate pathway to attendance at the conference.  Finalists will be asked to note which three faculty members they most wish to work with, and every effort will be made to accommodate those choices for workshop. Students should also note that no academic credit is available for attendance at the conference. If you have questions, please contact Prof. Donovan Hohn, Director of Creative Writing, at donovan.hohn@wayne.edu.