The Maine Crime Wave is a conference celebrating crime, mystery, thriller, and related novels. The 2026 Maine Crime Wave will happen on Saturday, May 30 at Mechanics’ Hall in Portland—information below.
In the fall of 2025, eighty Maine crime writers gathered for a day of learning, connection, and mutual support. That gathering was so productive and energizing, we’re doing it again.
“Truly, I loved it all—especially being part of a group with similar interests and such a strong sense of community, commitment, and FUN!”
The theme of the 2026 Maine Crime Wave is Sharpening the Blade: Craft. Community. Career. Through moderated roundtables, structured interactions, and an in-depth conversation with our Crime Master, the goal of our day together is to take our work to the next level.
“The roundtables with free-flowing discussion were the best part—engaging, wide-ranging, and deeply supportive.”
During the conference we’ll focus on:
Honing our craft to become the strongest writers we can be.
Strengthening our community with others who understand our drive and dreams.
Polishing our approach to building the writing career we desire.
We’re returning to a May date with the intention of making Maine Crime Wave a spring tradition—one you’ll look forward to year after year.
“I m a horror writer but attended anyway. People were so welcoming they called me ‘crime-adjacent!’”
Please see below for more information about the CrimeFlash contest, schedule, participating authors, and registration.
“I literally started writing crime fiction because the Maine crime writing community is so terrific.”
Register now below to save yourself a seat and plan to join us on May 30th!