[edit 6/3]: i have raised 1,190 through other channels (venmo, workshop fees, etc.), and have adjusted my goal amount here!
hi friends!
earlier this year, i was waitlisted for the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and recently received notification that a spot was available for me. this is such an incredible opportunity, but one that’s a little more expensive than i can afford at this time. since i was on the waitlist, i had to make the quick decision to bet on myself, so i’m doing everything i can to get myself to vermont this august (which is why i’m seeking help from my community)!
Costs/what i need:
The fee for the 2026 conference is $4,440 (includes tuition, $2,920; room, $525; and board, $995).
currently, flights from seattle to vermont range from $450-600 round trip
About Bread Loaf (from their website):
The Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference , founded in 1926, is one of the oldest and finest of its kind in the country.
It is the cornerstone to the three Bread Loaf Conferences, which include the Writers’ Conference, the Environmental Writers’ Conference, and the Translators’ Conference.
In all the programs, you’ll experience the Bread Loaf model, which includes small-group workshops scheduled among enriching readings and lectures.
Each summer, our faculty members include some of the world’s most notable writers and translators.
Deadline:
The full payment is due by the beginning of August (and i am working to see if an extension is possible).
About my work:
while i am a poet, i was accepted to Bread Loaf to work on my fiction (!) project GRIEF WORK, a story about death doula who is grappling with the concept of motherhood after her hysterectomy, and is given the chance to co-parent a child with her best friend in the wake of a complicated breakup.
Past submissions which included excerpts from GRIEF WORK have awarded me the Eulalie and Carlo Scandiuzzi Writers’ Room Residency at the Seattle Public Library, a week-long residency at Sundress Academy for the Arts, and now, this opportunity at Bread Loaf. i’ve received a lot of interest from agents, but no offers of representation yet, and i’m hoping the time spent at this conference will allow me to receive mentorship and make the revisions necessary to take this novel to the next step.
About me:
ari b. cofer (she/they) is the author of paper girl and the knives that made her (Central Avenue Publishing, 2022) and unfold: poetry and prose (2023). Their third collection of poetry, Inflection Point, will be published with Central Avenue in June 2027. ari has a BA in Professional Writing from Baylor University and an MFA in Poetry from Randolph College. Originally from Texas and Oklahoma, ari currently lives in the PNW with their spouse and their pets. You can find her on all platforms @ari.b.cofer.
thank you x1000 for your consideration and contributions — being an author once felt like a pipe dream, and i can’t believe this is my life. i’m so lucky to have the readers, community, and support that i have.