“The lectures were insightful, well-prepared, and well-delivered. The readings inspiring. The combination of Environmental writers and Translators is magical! I am so impressed with the community the Bread Loaf team has created…from staff to directors to teachers to industry guests to the participants, everyone was accessible and lovely and earnest and it creates such a warm community.”
Rachel Greenley
Seattle, WA
Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference
The 12th annual Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference is a week-long session designed to hone the skills of people interested in producing literary writing about the environment and the natural world.
Directed by Megan Mayhew Bergman, the conference is cosponsored by the Middlebury College Environmental Studies Program and the Franklin Environmental Center.
Overview
The conference, based on the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference model, incorporates small, focused workshops coupled with specialized classes centered on the craft of writing. Workshops are limited to ten participants so that each manuscript receives individual attention and critique. All participants also meet individually with their workshop leader to amplify and refine what is said in the workshop itself. The manuscript packet of student writing is available to each workshop group in the weeks leading up to the session in order to allow time to read and prepare.
Established editors, literary agents, and publishers give presentations on placing work in magazines and navigating the environmental book publishing world and also meet with participants individually and in small groups.
Participants include writers of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction whose work engages with or advocates for nature and the environment as well as environmental professionals, journalists, and teachers, who would like to explore and strengthen their writing in a literary context. For those who would like to learn more about environmental and nature writing who do not wish to receive feedback on their own work, an auditor option is available.
The 2025 Session
This year’s conference will take place at the Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College in Ripton, Vermont from Sunday, June 15 to Saturday, June 21, 2025. Find out more about dates and fees.
Our faculty are acclaimed nature and environmental writers including poets Tarfia Faizullah, John Murillo, and Nicole Sealey; fiction writers Lydia Millet and Luis Alberto Urrea; and nonfiction writers Lauren Markham, Nathaniel Rich, and Abe Streep. In addition to their literary accomplishments, each faculty member has been specifically chosen for their skill at guiding developing writers. Find out more about faculty and guests.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is limited, but thanks to support from Middlebury College and also many donors and former Bread Loafers who have contributed over the years, financial aid is available for both published and unpublished writers. Financial need has no bearing on decisions, except as noted. Find out more about financial aid.
Though it’s possible for a former financial aid winner to apply again in a subsequent year, please note that the admissions board gives preference to first-time financial aid applicants.
Apply
Applicants choose to apply as a contributor with a manuscript to a Fiction, Poetry, or Nonfiction Workshop. Applicants can also choose to apply as auditors. See Application and Acceptance Information.
What Past Participants Say:
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“Every detail and aspect of this conference was thoughtfully planned and engaging. I felt really well cared for and supported. I can’t thank you enough for inviting me to experience this personally enriching and career-boosting conference. I have been to many writing conferences throughout my career and the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference really stood out as the best. I left feeling inspired, motivated, validated, and hopeful.”
Cassandra Lewis
Wilmington, DE -
“I connected with many people and found the community welcoming and inclusive. I feel like I found the kind of writing community I’ve been looking for and made friendships with people whom I hope to continue not only to be in touch with but to exchange work, support, and tips.”
Alfred Lee
Marion County, OR -
“Phenomenal! Workshop was focused, generous, and generative. Readings, lectures, and craft class were varied and inspiring, and the ed/agent meetings gave me next steps that were so useful.”
Heather Houser
Baltimore, MD