The 2026 AWP Conference & Bookfair will take place in person at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland, from March 4 to 7, 2026. In addition, #AWP26 will feature a remote component, with several live-streamed events and a selection of prerecorded virtual events. See the AWP FAQ page for more information about in-person and virtual attendance.
CLMP at #AWP26
We look forward to gathering with our community for #AWP26! Visit us at booth #1046 to say hello and pick up your CLMP sticker. We also hope you’ll join us at our annual meeting and CLMP-sponsored panels.
CLMP Annual Meeting
Wednesday, March 4, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Room 307, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
This event is for all independent literary magazine and small press publishers to learn what we’re planning for the year and share your thoughts on how we can best ensure that our community thrives. Even if you’re not yet a member of CLMP but would like to find out more, please feel welcome to join us.
More than Ourselves: Reorganizing Publishers After NEA Cuts
Thursday, March 5, 12:10 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
Room 321-322, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
The recent cancellation of NEA grants amounts to a potential loss of over $1 million for more than fifty literary publishers in the coming years. What do such shortfalls mean for independent publishing? How can literary organizations recover and galvanize community support? This group of publishers will share concrete strategies—from grant research and fundraising initiatives to collaborative projects and joint programming—for organizing anew as the publishing industry grows more precarious.
The Art of Editing Translations: Exploration & Guidance
Thursday, March 5, 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Room 323, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
This panel explores the work of editing translations, highlighting the editor’s role in bringing global literature to new audiences. Panelists will discuss the creative and ethical negotiations at the heart of editing translations. How can editors select work from different cultures with care? How can translations be framed with awareness and enthusiasm? How much play is there in shaping a translation? The panel will share diverse approaches that support cross-cultural exchange and connection.
Editors as Brand Builders: How Lit Mags Use Branding to Express Their Missions
Friday, March 6, 10:35 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Room 309, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
Join the editors of five literary magazines for a discussion about scaling and sustaining publications through successful branding. This panel will also explore the reciprocal relationship between how the distinct look and feel of a literary magazine shapes and is shaped by its contributors and readers. Whether you’re a magazine founder, submitter, or reader, you’ll walk away with an understanding of how literary magazines’ branding informs their curation process.
Editors of Color: The Political & Personal
Friday, March 6, 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Room 321-322, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
Literary magazines are immensely capable vehicles for fostering literary community. This panel brings together five editors of color to host a conversation about race, journals, and community—for the present moment and ever. We will discuss mission, craft, and literary citizenship. This is a panel for readers, writers, and editors; people of color and allies; all who care to have journals be a productive place for race matters.
Small Presses Getting Big Attention
Saturday, March 7, 12:10 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
Room 328, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
Small presses publish stellar work, but their titles don’t often receive the recognition that books from bigger presses do. But what happens when a small press title does cut through the noise? How do publishers build on the attention of well-reviewed and award-winning titles? What benefits does this recognition provide authors and publishers? Editors of small presses will address these questions and share stories of their titles’ successes in a challenging literary ecosystem.
LitNet Annual Meeting
Saturday, March 7, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Room 307, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center
LitNet is a coalition of literary organizations from across the United States that works to promote the importance of the literary arts in American culture, build the capacity of the literary field, and broaden funding for the literary arts. All CLMP members are also members of LitNet. Representatives from LitNet will share updates about their work and the literary arts field. The meeting (9-10:15 a.m.) will be followed by time to connect with colleagues over coffee and a light breakfast (10:15-11:50 a.m.).
