“Exploring the Frontiers of Language”

June 15, 2020 Update – Registration now open for Virtual North Words 2020 – August 2, 3 & 4!  Check out the Virtual NWWS 2020 Schedule and click the Virtual Registration menu link above to sign up for all three days for $98, or at a daily rate of $35.   Due to continuing concerns with COVID-19, we were unable to host the regular conference this year – even after initially postponing it to later in the summer.  Recently, after consulting our 2020 faculty, we are delighted to announce that all were on board with the idea of a virtual conference in early August.  This year’s special theme remains “Writing at a time of a threatened natural world,”  and we hope for a great turnout during these 3-hour sessions each day.  Our faculty are committed to being with us: keynote author, acclaimed nature writer Bill Streever (see below); along with these writers from Alaska and the Northwest: Dr. M Jackson of Eugene, OR, formerly of Skagway and now a noted writer of glacier books; Heather Lende of Haines, AK, best-selling author of non-fiction books about small town life and politics; Nicole Stellon O’Donnell of Fairbanks, AK, highly praised teacher and writer of prose poetry;  Eva Holland of Whitehorse, Yukon, published free-lance magazine writer and author of a new book on overcoming fears; Caroline Van Hemert, of Anchorage and Haines, who’s memoir The Sun is A Compass came out to great reviews last summer; and Anchorage short fiction writer Bryan Fierro. Check out their bios and books on the Faculty page and see more in our Virtual NWWS Press Release .

October 14, 2019 – North Words founder Buckwheat Donahue passes. 
The North Words family is mourning the passing of our founding father, Buckwheat, who was loved by our community of writers and readers. A Howling Ceremony of  Life will be held at the Eagles in Skagway on Nov. 23. We have posted some great memories of BW in photos on our Facebook page, and we will carry on North Words in his honor and with as much of his spirit as we can muster.

September 26, 2019 – Bill Streever to Keynote 11th Annual North Words 
We are pleased to announce Bill Streever, biologist, award winning and bestselling nature writer,  will be the keynote author for our 11th annual symposium in 2020. 

Presented by the North Words Organizing Faculty under the fiscal sponsor Skagway Development Corporation – Community Development Services, with generous support from the Municipality of Skagway and additional Sponsors. Meet your writing community at the North Words Writers Symposium in Skagway, Alaska.