The 2026 Writer’s Conference of Northern Appalachia (WCONA) will be held at Saint Francis on March 6-7.
“We want people to leave with more tools for evoking in their writing what this part of America is all about,” said the president and founder of the event, PJ Piccirillo.
Attendees will participate in panels, workshops and networking opportunities throughout the two days. The goal of the conference is to provide a space to encourage local writers to create more literary work inspired by the Northern Appalachia region.
Piccirillo, a Saint Francis graduate, said that having his alma mater host the conference is “serendipitous.”
“The University welcomed us with open arms,” said Piccirillo. “We feel really good chemistry with Saint Francis and the staff and faculty who help us make the conference so successful.”
This marks the third straight year that SFU has hosted the conference.
SFU English Professor Brennan Thomas will be moderating a panel on “river teeth” narratives alongside three Saint Francis students.
“The conference is a really good opportunity for writers who want to learn certain techniques from other writers for making their writing stronger,” said Thomas.
Panels covering topics such as workshops in specific genres, publishing, marketing and editing are planned for next month’s conference. There is also an open-mic night for poetry and flash fiction.
“We want to help the school build its writing program and its reputation as a great place for literary art and service,” said Piccirillo.
For more information on the conference, visit https://wcona.com/.
