Singularity’s Headed to AWP!

For the past two years, Singularity Press has had the pleasure of attending the AWP Conference & Bookfair in Philadelphia (2022) and Seattle (2023). This year, we will be going to Kansas City, Missouri on February 7–10th with our friends at Glassworks, so make sure to stop by our booths and say hi!

What is the AWP Conference & Bookfair?

For those who don’t know, the AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) Conference is an annual opportunity for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers to get together over four days to network and discuss creative work. There are numerous events, such as panel discussions—both in person and virtual—readings, author signings, and off-site events! The bookfair gives its participants—independent literary presses and journals, creative writing programs, writing conferences and centers, and literary arts organizations—the chance to showcase and sell their work. It occurs during the same time as the conference, therefore attendees have the ability to come and go as they please from a panel to browsing the bookfair.

What will Singularity Press Have at the Booth?

In previous years, our booth has been filled with various free goodies any attendee was welcome to. We had swag, such as pens, stickers, and tote bags with beautiful designs former intern Lesley George created that could be won in a raffle if people signed up for our newsletter. There were also business cards, pamphlets, and postcards detailing our services and prices. Our prize wheel often drew in a lot of interest because who doesn’t love spinning a wheel and a chance to win some awesome merch? Some of the things that could be won include: shakespearean insults / compliments, a tarot reading from our executive editor, Megan Atwood (which was a big hit!), and one of our swag. And as a Singularity staple, we had a basket of free candy! We also made sure to give a shoutout to Glassworks who were at the booth next to us and selling different issues of their magazine.

In addition to everything mentioned above, for this year's AWP, we have plans to create a little photo op! We’ll be hand making and purchasing props for attendees to hold under our sign. Then we’ll take pictures and print it out so that they can have a physical memory with us.

My Experience

I have been able to attend AWP the past two years with Singularity Press and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and experience! During the one in Philadelphia, I only went one day, but it was still enough to get a taste of what AWP has to offer. It was great to walk around the bookfair, meet a bunch of other writers, and grab some free merch. Sitting at Singularity’s booth and practicing my networking skills was very useful too! I had the time to head over to an interesting panel where they discussed writing about South Asian characters. I absolutely love Philly, so I also got to walk around and grab a bite at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Nora’s Kitchen.

For the one in Seattle last year, I was lucky enough to be one of the few interns chosen to go on the trip. I don’t get the chance to travel much, so it was extra exciting to be able to take a plane across the country! I stayed for the entire four day conference, which gave me more time to interact with more people and booths. I went to two panels this time, one discussing how to write LGBTQIA+ characters authentically and the other about imposter syndrome, where I learned a lot of useful tricks and tips. Staying during the entire conference also gave me the time to explore Seattle, which is an amazing city. 

I unfortunately can’t attend the conference this year, but I wish my fellow interns the best of luck and to enjoy the trip! Can’t make it this year either? No worries! Make sure to check out our socials this week for fun AWP content! You can also look through our highlights on Instagram to see what we were up to in Seattle.