A far-from-comprehensive but hopefully helpful list of local and national organizations supporting writers.
Why There are Words--literary reading series (poetry and short short prose) that takes place every second Thursday of the month, at Studio 333 on Caledonia Street in Sausalito, CA, 7 PM, $10 donation at the door.
Marin Poetry Center--founded in 1981 by a dedicated group of Northern California poets as a
non-profit organization designed to nurture an environment for the enjoyment
of poetry and the spoken word. Based at San Rafael's Falkirk Cultural Center
(www.falkirkculturalcenter.org),
we welcome new poets, established writers, as well as anyone interested
in the art of the spoken word. MPC sponsors regular readings and
workshops at Falkirk, many of which are co-sponsored by Poets & Writers.
Laguna Writers of San Francisco--founder Christopher P. DeLorenzo says: "My writing workshops differ from traditional writing groups because
they are not manuscript driven and they are multi-genre. Most writer's
groups require that someone--or several people in the group--present
manuscripts each week for critical feedback. My workshop is based on a
different method: the Amherst Writers and Artist method."
The Writing Salon San Francisco and Berkeley, founded in 1999, is a creative writing school for adults. "If we trust our own creative process, there will be no limit to the joy we get out of our writing." --Writing Salon Executive Director Ben Jackson.
Women’s National Book Association --a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. WNBA exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book.
WNBA SF Chapter The continual demand for professional development programs along with
networking and marketing opportunities drive our programming choices. We
offer traditional dinner format programs and events, and have added
such events as panels and hands on workshops where participants have the
opportunity to learn more about our craft, hone new skills and meet
other writers.
Litquake--a nine-day literary spectacle for booklovers, complete with cutting-edge
panel discussions, unique cross-media events, and hundreds of readings. This year's San Francisco festival takes place October 11-19th.
Book Passage--has served the Bay Area
for more than 30 years, providing the community with an array of author
events, writing and language classes, and highly-respected annual
conferences. A New York Times-reporting
bookstore, we offer a wide variety of books ranging from children’s
literature to travel guides, from top-selling fiction to mystery novels,
and we continue to work diligently with community and nonprofit
organizations.
Book Passage has two stores, one in Corte Madera and a second in the San Francisco Ferry Building.
San Francisco Writers Community--working together to help one another market our work and create the new world of writing and publishing.
California Writers Club--We’re one of the oldest writer’s organizations in continuous
operation in the nation. Our members are poets, journalists, essayists,
technical writers, and creators of genre and literary fiction, as well
as editors, booksellers, and others involved in related fields, all
joined together for the common goal of educating ourselves and the
community on the craft of writing and the realities of getting our work
published.
California Writers Club--Marin
The Marin branch of the California Writers Club meets on the 4th Sunday
of the month from 2 to 4 P.M., except holidays and during July, August
and December. Meetings may feature a guest speaker, a workshop or a
panel discussion along with networking, writing news and ongoing
encouragement.
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Writing Groups--A supportive and challenging environment to deepen writers’ abilities to
take risks. Join us to write close to the bone and from the heart. For
prose writers (journal, essay, memoir, fiction).
