Each year, Western Writers of America holds its annual convention somewhere in the American West. Members, agents, publishers, editors, and more gather to talk shop, learn, teach, make connections, renew friendships, and enjoy music performed by our members.

Join us June 17th – 20th, 2026, for the WWA Convention in St. Louis, Missouri

at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel!

Click HERE for the upcoming convention schedule.

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by James Wade

The American West, in all its splendor and glory– its magnificent and treacherous landscapes, its courageous and complicated history, and its ancient and transcendent mysteries– is most often illustrated by sprawling vistas, mountain majesties, and never-ending skies. But our national enchantment with the West would not have been possible save for the role of a single city, high on a bluff above the Mississippi River.
St. Louis is rightfully known as the Gateway to the West, serving as the epicenter of America’s westward expansion. From Lewis and Clark to the California Gold Rush, from steamboats to rail lines, the historic city was a launching point for a burgeoning country’s dreams of progress.
Some of America’s greatest authors lay claim to St. Louis and the surrounding areas, from Laura Ingalls Wilder to Mark Twain to Maya Angelou. Here, like the geographical regions that birthed them, the lush and elaborate prose of Southeastern storytelling meets the spare, biting style of the West, combining to create a literary methodology all its own.
For these reasons, and more, the Western Writers of America is proud and privileged to bring its 2026 Convention to the great city of St. Louis. We hope you will join us in fellowship and celebration of western history, literature, and spirit.

Members attending the 2026 Convention