ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
Founded in 1975, Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance (MWPA) is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to enrich the cultural life of Maine by supporting writers, publishers, and the literary arts. It is the only organization in Maine devoted solely to advancing literature and the writing life.
MWPA is Maine's only statewide literary arts organization. MWPA is the largest, per capita, writing organization in the entire United States. In a state as geographically and economically disparate as Maine, we count almost 1,000 members. Every year, the MWPA enriches the cultural lives of an estimated 40,000 people, about 3% of Maine’s total population.
Our goals include: promoting the appreciation of Maine literature; creating a network of writers, readers and publishers; promoting opportunities for writers to improve writing and marketing skills; informing members and the public of Maine literary and publishing news. Our current programming includes quarterly production of Maine in Print, a trade publication which provides submission information, author interviews, practical marketing tips, and networking opportunities throughout the state for writers of all levels. We also offer a series of workshops and seminars annually at locations across the state. We host two annual weekend writing retreats, and coordinate the Maine Literary Awards.
The MWPA presents a several conferences, such as “The Business of Writing: everything you need to know about writing professionally in Maine" and our Annual Fall Retreat. We augment our programming with special events, such as notable author readings and cross-cultural performances. In the past, we have promoted Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a “Power of the Word” celebrity reading of first-hand accounts of domestic violence experienced by Maine residents; a reading and discussion with Joyce Maynard, the former teenaged paramour of JD Salinger; and an evening with Brian Turner, author of Here, Bullet for a night of wartime poetry and poetry of witness. MWPA sponsored a traveling poet series to introduce Maine’s newest poet laureate throughout the state, and we produced Perdita to honor both the craft of stage writing and Maine author and activist, Perdita Huston.
In recent years we have worked to expand our presence to the more remote areas of the state and in so doing, have increased our collaborations with educational institutions and other arts organizations. MWPA works closely with the Maine Arts Commission, a state agency devoted to the arts.