David R. Collins Writers’ Conference

June 23, 24, and 25, 2022 (all times CST)
Workshops & Classes at the Rock Island Public Library and via Zoom | Public Events via Livestream

**Login info for the private workshops and master class will be sent to all registrants the week of the Conference**

The David R. Collins Writers’ Conference is back! With five three-day workshops, book pitches with multiple publishers, faculty reading, master class, and keynote event, there’s something for everyone.

*Downloadable copy of the DRC Conference Brochure available soon*
Please call MWC at 309-732-7330 for more information.

Download a scholarship application for the DRC Writers’ Conference here. We offer scholarships to students, veterans/active duty service members, and those with financial need. 

***

A Note on the 2022 Collins Writers’ Conference Format 

Thanks for your interest in the David R. Collins Writers’ Conference. Complete workshop information and online registration for the 2022 Conference will be available soon.

We are currently planning for a hybrid format for this year’s Conference —we will host participants at the Rock Island Public Library for those who want to attend workshops in-person, but all workshops will be available remotely via Zoom. Some of the instructors will be in-person, while others (including the keynote and the master class) will be leading their workshops remotely via zoom. MWC staff will be online to facilitate the Zoom and in-person to help with tech and make sure the hybrid format runs smoothly. For those attending in person, masks are encouraged.

If you have questions about the format, technical needs, or anything else related to the Conference, please contact us at mwc@mwcqc.org | 309-732-7330

***

Please register via PayPal below. A new browser window should open where you can see your selection in the PayPal shopping cart, which should update with each selection you make.

**You can use these buttons pay with a credit card even if you do not have a PayPal account (click on the gray Check Out button to pay without a PayPal account using a credit card).**

If you have any issues registering online, please call MWC at 309-732-7330 and we will be happy to take your registration over the phone.

For details, including workshop description and faculty bios, click here.

***

IMPORTANT: Please follow the registration steps in order, and please see notes in BOLD/ITALICS to ensure your registration is received properly. Thanks!

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ONLINE REGISTRATION,
PLEASE CALL RYAN COLLINS AT (309) 732-7330, OR EMAIL HIM AT mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org. THANKS!

STEP 1. Registration Fee — REQUIRED – Online Registration Closed

If you are taking workshops and/or signing up for a critique or a pitch, you MUST pay the non-refundable registration fee, which includes the Poetry Master Class with Ross Gay on Friday, June 24.

Please note: If you are only attending the Master Class with Ross Gay, you do not need to pay the registration fee.

You do not have to pay the fee if you are only attending free events (6/23 and 6/24). 

**Online Registration for the Conference is closed — if you are interested in registering, please call 309-732-7330**

STEP 2. Workshop Selections – Early Bird (before June 12) – Online Registration Closed

Please choose either the Full Conference Registration (all 4 workshops) for the first PayPal menu below…

**Online Registration for the Conference is closed — if you are interested in registering, please call 309-732-7330**

OR, if you are not registering for the full conference, please skip the Full Registration PayPal button above and proceed to the second Registration Menu below to select individual workshops

You can select your workshops here, up to 3 workshops total. Please note: there is only one workshop per time block.

**Online Registration for the Conference is closed — if you are interested in registering, please call 309-732-7330**

STEP 3. Ross Gay Master Class – Friday 6/24, 12-1 p.m. CDT (Optional) – 

$40 for MWC members without paid registration fee, and $50 for non-MWC members without paid registration fee (no longer available)

Featuring a discussion about writing,  poetry, and life, led by award-winning poet and essayist Ross Gay. Master class is included with registration fee (just indicate if you plan to attend); if you are not registered for the Conference and would like to attend the Master class, the cost is $40 for MWC members and $50 for non-MWC members, and we ask that you register on or before June 23 (Optional):

STEP 4. 1-on-1 Manuscript Critiques (no longer available) 

Manuscript Critiques – Writers can have up to 10 pages of a manuscript reviewed in a 1-on-1 meeting (30 minutes) with the instructor during the conference (meetings scheduled between instructor and writer in advance of, or during, the Conference for their convenience and to avoid schedule conflicts).

Critiques are $50. Faculty offering critiques and the number each have available are listed below (Optional):

STEP 5. Pitch Sessions (no longer available) 

Pitch Sessions – 6/26. Scheduled in advance of, or during, the Conference for their convenience and to avoid schedule conflicts. During the allotted times prior to the first day of the Conference. $15/pitch (Optional):

Conference Sponsors:

Modern Woodman of America,
Founding Sponsor of the David R. Collins Writers’ Conference

Regional Development Authority

The Figge Art Museum

St. Ambrose University English Department

Illinois Arts Council Agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts

Illinois Humanities

Rock Island Public Library

Rozz-Tox