The other week, the Beloit Fiction Journal Production Team got to go to L.A. for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference and book fair, the largest literary conference in the country. The team brought the newly printed 38th volume of the BFJ to promote and sell, but they also saw many of the panels and readings offered by AWP.

Lucy Traynor ’25, one of the editors, said it “was a great opportunity for me to get a more intimate look into the writing world. There were panels on topics that ranged from process, publishing, and perfectionism that helped me glean insight on certain aspects of writing.”

There were many interesting panels and discussions. Fiona Hughes ’26, another editor, says her favorite panels included “Wrangling the Doubt Monster” and “Becoming a Debut Novelist,” giving her more insight into the writing and publishing process.

Fiona and Azalea Swan ’25, co-managing editor, were both able to collect contact information for literary journals and magazines to which they could submit their work.

I (India Davis ’25), the other co-managing editor, got to talk to some of the publishing houses in the Twin Cities, where I will be living after graduation, to learn more about job opportunities and internships. I also sincerely enjoyed listening to many authors present their writing processes or debate about Tolkien and Herbert’s effects on the fantasy genre canon.

Brigid Parker ’25, editor, describes the book fair as “uplifting because it put a face to so many journals that I have submitted to and even a few I received rejections from. For me, the process of submitting my work often feels very impersonal, so it was heartening to be reminded there are real people taking in my submissions.”

It was an inspiring experience as it reminded us why we love writing and reading and how we can continue to be storytellers even after graduation.

One of the trip’s highlights was seeing Beloit’s very own Tacey Atsitty-Gonzalez do a poetry reading with the Indigenous Nations Poets organization. Kim Blaeser, the 2024 Mackey Chair, also did a reading, including a haiku about the Boundary Waters.

Many alums came to the table to say hello, reminiscing about when they worked on the BFJ or their times at Beloit. Some even told us about their own trips to AWP when they were at Beloit.

The editorial team was able to bond as we walked about LA and the conference. We became closer as we connected over our love of writing and reading. One of the top memories was running around the convention center on the last day trying to get as many free copies of books and literary journals as we could fit in our carry-ons.

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This story was originally published in the Round Table’s April 8 issue. It is republished here with permission by the author.