The Alabama Writers’ Cooperative (AWC) has been enriching the lives of writers and poets in the state for more than a century. The nonprofit is headquartered in Birmingham but holds its AWC Annual Conference in different cities around the state.

“We are proud to be a part of the Alabama Writers’ Cooperative, the oldest writers’ organization in the state. In fact, it’s one of the oldest in the country,” said T.J. Beitelman, president of the AWC board.

Founded in 1923 to support Alabama authors, writers and poets, the AWC is also tasked with electing Alabama’s poet laureate.

“Since 1931, the AWC has elected the Alabama poet laureate,” Beitelman said. “This is a huge deal that includes a ceremony where the governor introduces the laureate choice in a press conference. Current poet laureate is Jennifer Horne.”

The AWC holds community workshops, fosters programs with the poet laureate to promote poetry and produces an annual anthology that profiles Alabama authors and poets. Membership is diverse, with writers of different ages and representing many ethnicities and races.

“We have always thrived on being an inclusive nonprofit, and we are always trying to engage a diverse community of Alabama writers. Diversity is in our mission statement,” Beitelman said.

Alabama Writers’ Cooperative to hold virtual annual conference from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the AWC. The group has not held any events since the pandemic began. That will change later this month when the AWC Annual Conference will again bring together Alabama authors, playwrights, screenwriters and poets in a virtual event.

“Because we didn’t have a conference last year, we really wanted to do something that would attract many people. We decided to make the 2021 AWC Annual Conference free and virtual so members and guests from across Alabama and the country can participate and learn. The dates are Aug. 20th through the 22^nd, and we have a full slate of activities plus the announcement of this year’s Alabama poet laureate,” Beitelman said. “We are also partnering with O’Neal Library and PEN America for the conference.”

The AWC Annual Conference will include keynote speakers and fiction authors Angela Jackson-Brown and Randi Pink, horror writer Hank Early, poets Voice Porter and Tina Moselle Braziel, screenwriters Katie Boyer and Joel Eisenberg and others.

Beitelman has high hopes for the conference.

“I hope people leave this conference with a renewed sense of energy in their own creative spirit,” he said. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between the creative process and what we produce. I hope people take with them a fresh hope in their creative process so they can produce a work with big impact.”

For information about the AWC Annual Conference or to join, visit www.alabamawriterscooperative.org.