The new Raymond Carver and Tess Gallagher Creative Writing Festival will be held April 25-27, 2024, in Port Angeles. Keynote readers include Billy Collins, TC Boyle, and Tess Gallagher. Selected Shorts from Symphony Space in New York and National Public Radio will bring actors Dion Graham (The Wire), Zach Grenier (Devs), and Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds) to deliver a performance of work by Carver, Gallagher, Collins, and Boyle.
The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with sixteen events including readings, book signings, a film screening, writing panels, poetry at Carver’s grave, writing workshops, a free performance by dancers and actors from the Suitcase Players, and more.
Anyone who would like to sharpen their writing skills can register for a workshop in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction with authors Jonathan Evison, Tim McNulty, Alice Derry, Holly Hughes, Lawrence Matsuda, Gary Copeland Lilley, CMarie Fuhrman, Anna Quinn, Charlotte Gould Warren, Kate Reavey, or Lisa C. Taylor.
All-access festival passes are available on Eventbrite. Individual tickets for keynote readings, including Tess Gallagher, Billy Collins, TC Boyle, and Selected Shorts are available for purchase at Field Arts & Events Hall in downtown Port Angeles.
Events will be held on the Peninsula College campus in Port Angeles, at Ocean View Cemetery, and at Field Arts & Events Hall. The Friday performance by the Suitcase Players is free via RSVP at Field Hall. A limited number of festival scholarships are available on the event website. Free access is available for students by contacting Festival Director, Michael Mills at mmills@pencol.edu or 360.417.6462. Free access tickets for students are limited and allow for admission to one event and one panel discussion.
For all-access festival passes or workshop registration, look for the festival on Eventbrite or visit the festival page on the Raymond Carver Podcast website.