NC Writers’ Network Celebrates 40 Years
The North Carolina Writers’ Network (NCWN), the largest and oldest statewide organization serving writers in the South, is celebrating 40 years of connecting and supporting writers across North Carolina.
Founded in 1985, NCWN began as a resource for writers in one city and expanded statewide. Today, the organization continues to serve both aspiring and established writers through conferences, workshops, career resources, and community connection.
From the early days of printed newsletters and handwritten membership lists to today’s online programs and hybrid events, the Network has adapted alongside the changing literary landscape. Members receive access to writing conferences, manuscript critiques, job and submission listings, and promotional tools such as Hats Off! and Book Buzz. The Network also provides opportunities to connect locally through regional representatives and meetups throughout the state.
"Writing can be solitary work, but it doesn’t have to be lonely," says Executive Director Ed Southern, who has led the organization since 2008. "This milestone highlights what happens when writers are given space, support, and each other."
NCWN is commemorating its 40th anniversary with special programming through the end of the year. The celebration will culminate at the Fall Conference, held November 7–9 in Wrightsville Beach, where writers will gather for a weekend of workshops, readings, and community connection.
Writers and literary enthusiasts are invited to join the Network or support its work by donating at ncwriters.org. As NCWN honors its past, it remains focused on the future by expanding access, deepening its impact, and amplifying the voices that shape North Carolina’s literary landscape.
About the North Carolina Writers’ Network
The North Carolina Writers’ Network connects, promotes, and supports writers at all stages of their careers. With more than 1,300 members across the state, NCWN hosts two annual conferences, offers craft and publishing resources, and fosters a literary community across genres, locations, and generations.
NCWN’s Mission
The North Carolina Writers’ Network creates and nurtures community for those who care about writing, because good writing is vital to our wider community.
We believe that writing can connect people across time, distance, and difference; that writing with integrity is necessary for civic discourse and a healthy society; and that the deeply satisfying experiences of writing and reading should be available to everyone.
The North Carolina Writers’ Network connects, promotes, and serves the writers of this state. We provide education in the craft and business of writing, opportunities for recognition and critique of literary work, resources for writers at all stages of development, support for and advocacy of the literary heritage of North Carolina, and a community for those who write.
The North Carolina Writers’ Network is an anti-racist organization committed to serving all North Carolina writers. We are, therefore, committed to being equitable, inclusive, accessible, and representative of the diversity of North Carolina writers, and we hold this commitment as fundamental to and inseparable from our mission.
