This class is now over. Interested in upcoming classes and writing workshops?

Check my schedule or send me an email.

The Annual Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference

(aka Summer Camp)

Book Passage - Corte Madera , California
August 9 to 12, 2018

Hallelujah!

Summer's almost here, which means so is Summer Camp for Travel Writers & Photographers!

That's the not-so-secret nickname for The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference: four days that will change your life, introduce you to your tribe, advance your travel writing/photography journey, and most importantly, launch your karaoke career.

I'm super thrilled to be on faculty for the sixth consecutive year! I'll be teaching a morning session called "Alumni Boot Camp" with the amazing Jim Benning, co-founder of the legendary World Hum and current features editor at Westways/AAA. I could not be happier about this arrangement. Jim is, among many other things, excellent at covering for me when I'm running late to our morning workshop. He even makes sure I have coffee waiting for me. He's a gem, and you will learn A TON from him.

This year's faculty also includes such luminaries as, of course, Don George. There would be no conference without Don. Literally. He's faculty chair (and he did, after all, write "THE BIBLE"). We also have on deck the fabulous Larry Habegger, Travelers' Tales executive editor, and my amazing Nepal Workshop partner-in-crime, bestselling author Jeff Greenwald. (He also wrote the world's very first travel blog.) Then there's Andrew McCarthy: If his name sounds familiar, it's probably because he wrote that New York Times book review about my latest edition of The Best Women's Travel Writing. (And he was also in some movies and is now a kickass travel writer.) And HOORAY: there's the inimitable Abbie Kozolchyk, who has been to me both editor and editee (as an oft-published BWTW contributor) as well as leader of my aforementioned Tribe. And not last and certainly not least, my karaoke soul sister, the almost frustratingly talented and brilliant Candace Rose Rardon.

Guys, this is only about half of the lineup. There are so many extraordinary people teaching under one roof, imparting combined centuries worth of industry knowledge. Come on, there's Tim Cahill! And Pauline Frommer! Celeste Brash! Michael Shapiro! Catharine Hamm! Elizabeth Harryman! And many more! Plus all the incredible photography faculty whom I haven't even gotten to! They are awesome.

If none of this has convinced you, then ask yourself: What better way to spend four days than surrounded by a million books? And wine? Don’t you perhaps owe yourself a raucous night of karaoke? Also, sometimes they serve us s'mores. Usually there's whiskey. Occasionally ukuleles turn up. Last year there was a bonfire.

ALL OF WHICH IS TO SAY: PLEASE JOIN US FOR FOUR MADCAP, EDIFYING, INSPIRING, AND UNFORGETTABLE DAYS!

This conference truly does change lives. When I attended eight years ago, it changed my life. It has the capacity to change yours, too, if you let it. All you gotta do is sign up. Give yourself that gift. Invest in yourself and your creative path.

See you there!

I'll be the one hogging the mic.

Book Passage , 51 Tamal Boulevard , Corte Madera , California


Upcoming

  • TEST

    Writing The Literary Travel Essay
    June 24 to July 29 2013
    The Grotto
    San Francisco, CA

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    Litcrawl with AFAR magazine
    October 19 2013
    Adobe Books
    san francisco, california

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    Reading at Book Passage for Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 9
    October 20 2013
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera, CA

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    Weekday Wanderlust’s One Year Anniversary!
    October 23 2013
    Hotel Rex
    San Francisco, CA

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    Travel Writing, UC Berkeley Guest Lecture
    November 5 2013
    San Francisco, California

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    Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 9: Book Launch Party!
    December 9 - 10 2013
    Brick and Mortar Music Hall
    San Francisco, California

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    Writing The Literary Travel Essay: From Inspiration to Publication
    January 29 to March 5 2014
    The Writers' Grotto
    San Francisco , California

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    Beyond What You Did Last Summer: Teaching Travel Writing
    Thursday February 27 2014
    AWP Conference
    Seattle, WA

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    There She Goes Again: Women Writing Travel
    Friday February 28 2014
    AWP Conference
    Seattle, WA

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    Book Launch Party at The Mount
    June 22 2014
    The Mount
    Lenox, MA

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    The Great Books Summer Program at Stanford
    Wednesday July 9 2014
    Stanford
    Palo Alto, California

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    Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference
    August 14 - 17 2014
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera, California

  • TEST

    The ROAR Retreat in Costa Rica
    September 25 - 28 2014
    Playa Conchal
    Costa Rica

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    LitCrawl with Travelers’ Tales
    October 18 2014
    San Francisco

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    Machu Picchu Writing Workshop
    November 10 - 15 2014
    Peru

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    Anthology Night at Weekday Wanderlust
    November 17 2014
    Hotel Rex
    San Francisco, California

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    The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 10 at Diesel Books in Brentwood
    November 18 2014
    Diesel Books
    Brentwood, California

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    The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 10 Reading at Diesel Books in Oakland!
    November 20 2014
    Diesel Books
    Oakland, CA

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    The Best Women’s Travel Writing Comes to Half Moon Bay
    December 5 2014
    Harbor Books
    Half Moon Bay, California

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    Launch for Lonely Planet’s An Innocent Abroad at Book Passage
    December 13 2014
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera, California

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    Writing the Travel Essay: From Inspiration to Publication
    January 8 to February 12 2015
    The San Francisco Writers' Grotto
    San Francisco, California

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    Women’s Travel Fest 2015
    March 1 2015
    San Francisco, California

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    Adventure Travel Stories With an All-Star Line-up
    April 8 2015
    Creekside Room at the Mill Valley Library
    Mill Valley, California

  • TEST

    The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference
    August 13 - 16 2015
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera, California

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    “An Evening with Travel Writer Lavinia Spalding”
    Tuesday October 6 2015
    Oshman Family Jewish Community Center
    Palo Alto, California

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    Interviewing the great Don George
    October 23 2015
    The Presidio Officer's Club
    San Francisco, California

  • TEST

    Writing the Travel Essay: From Inspiration to Publication
    April 13 to May 18 2016
    The San Francisco Writers' Grotto
    San Francisco, CA

  • TEST

    The Annual Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference
    August 11 - 14 2016
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera , CA

  • TEST

    Cultivating Compassion through Intentional Journaling
    January 18 2017
    St. Claud Social Club
    New Orleans , Louisiana

  • TEST

    How to Get an Editor’s Attention
    February 5 2017
    The Women's Travel Fest
    New Orleans, Louisiana

  • TEST

    The Best Women’s Travel Writing Book Launch Party
    Monday May 15 2017
    Brick and Mortar Music Hall
    San Francisco , CA

  • TEST

    The Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference
    August 8 - 12 2017
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera

  • TEST

    Storytelling in Writing: Workday, Inc
    November 7 - 9 2017
    The Marriott
    San Ramon, California

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    Turning the Wheel
    February 26 to March 8 2018
    the Khatmandu Valley
    Nepal

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    On the Detour
    July 29 2018
    Five Senses Festival
    Washington, Connecticut

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    In Conversation with Apricot Irving
    October 16 2018
    Garden District Bookshop
    New Orleans , Louisiana

  • TEST

    Litcrawl with AFAR
    October 20 2018
    The Mission (exact location TBA)
    San Francisco, California

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    Reading & Signing: This Immeasurable Place: Food and Farming from the Edge of Wilderness
    December 10 2018
    Book Passage Bookstore & Cafe
    Corte Madera , California

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    This Immeasurable Place, Food and Farming from the Edge of Wilderness
    December 11 2018
    McRoskey Mattress Factory Third Floor Loft Space
    San Francisco, California

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    Book Celebration
    December 14 2018
    Living Green Design
    San Francisco , California

  • TEST

    Deep Travel Morocco
    March 31 to April 8 2019
    Fez and Moulay Idriss
    Morocco

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    Deep Travel Anthology launch
    August 7 2019
    Book Passage Bookstore & Cafe
    Corte Madera , California

  • TEST

    The Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference
    August 8 - 11 2019
    Book Passage Bookstore & Cafe
    Corte Madera , California

  • TEST

    Paris American Academy Summer Creative Writing Workshop
    July 1 - 31 2020
    Paris
    France

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    The Annual Book Passage Travel Writers Conference
    August 20 - 23 2020
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera, California

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    Virtual Book Launch for The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 12
    December 8 2020
    Book Passage (via Zoom)
    Corte Madera, CA

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    There You Go:  Write the Travel Essay
    January 5 to February 9 2021
    The Writers Grotto (online)
    Anywhere!

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    Virtual Bookstore Reading at Magers & Quinn
    February 18 2021
    Magers & Quinn
    Minneapolis, MI

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    The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 12, at Elliott Bay Books
    March 1 2021
    Elliot Bay Books
    Seattle, Washington

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    A Journey Into Personal Travel Writing
    April 26 to May 13 2021
    Santa Fe Workshops

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    In Conversation with Janna L. Goodwin (online)
    May 19 2021
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera

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    Podbean Live Storytelling Salon
    July 21 2021
    Podbean

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    Letter to a Stranger Reading
    Wednesday May 4 2022
    Book Passage (online)

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    A Fresh Start: Reawaken the Mind Through Writing and Meditation
    November 6 - 16 2022
    Himalayan Writing Workshops
    Kathmandu
    Nepal

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    The Art of Tranquilo
    March 15 - 22 2024
    Yelapa, Mexico

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    Divining Creativity
    May 13 - 17 2024
    Cummari
    Siracusa
    Italy