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

Check my schedule or send me an email.

The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference

"Summer Camp for Travel Writers"

Book Passage - Corte Madera, California
August 13 to 16, 2015

Cliché or not, sometimes things actually do change your life. That's what happened years ago when I attended the Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference in Corte Madera, California, as a student. In just four inspiration- and fun-filled days, I met people who would become some of my closest friends and favorite editors, I improved my writing and editing (and karaoke) skills, and I found my tribe. I discovered the importance of a writing community and the value of peers and mentors who would go on to support me in the work I loved.

So it was a tremendous honor, a few years later, to be invited to join the faculty, and I'm thrilled to be on faculty again this year, for the third year. We call the conference "Summer Camp for Travel Writers," and it really does feel that way. I look forward to it all year long -- to being inspired by some of the greatest minds in travel writing, to seeing my far-flung friends, and to making incredible new friends and connections, which I do every year. This year's conference takes place in just a week and a half -- August 13-16th -- and I honestly wouldn't dream of being anywhere else in the world that weekend (which should say a lot, coming from a travel writer)!

There's still time to sign up. As always, the faculty is impressive. There's Tim Cahill (yeah, he's alive!) and Isabel Allende. And let's not forget the Three Wise Men of Travel Writing, Don George, Larry Habegger, and Jeff Greenwald. Plus so many more. There are editors from AFAR, Sunset, O the Oprah Magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, WestWays, The San Francisco Chronicle, BBC, WorldHum, Lonely Planet, and Travelers' Tales. And there are award-winning novelists, memoirists, essayists, reporters, bloggers, artists, photographers, agents, publishers--an A-list of wise and wonderful people eager to meet you and support you in following your dreams.

This conference is, in my opinion, a must for anyone who's even flirting with the idea of becoming a travel writer -- and it's of equal benefit to writers who want to advance their careers and learn more about craft and the industry. So I hope to see you there. Come for the inspiration, the education, the tricks of the trade, the connections, the camaraderie, the champagne, and of course, the karaoke. I promise you won't regret it. (Well ... maybe the karaoke.)

Here's the schedule, and here's the link to sign up!

See you at summer camp!

Lavinia

Book Passage , 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, 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

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    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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    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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    The Annual Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference
    August 9 - 12 2018
    Book Passage
    Corte Madera , California

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

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    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

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    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