The Evanston Writers Workshop (EWW), a nonprofit literary organization established in 2007, has opened registration for In the Trenches 2026, a two-day conference for writers at every level, taking place Saturday and Sunday, November 14–15, 2026, at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1818 Maple Ave., Evanston, IL 60201.
The conference will be headlined by Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of King: A Life, which The New York Times called the definitive biography of Martin Luther King Jr. A Northwestern University alumnus and Chicago resident, Eig is also the author of Ali: A Life, winner of a 2018 PEN America Literary Award, and four New York Times bestsellers in all. His Lou Gehrig biography, Luckiest Man, is currently being adapted for film. Eig will deliver the keynote address at the Saturday evening dinner.
Across two days of programming, attendees can choose from more than twenty sessions covering craft, publishing, and the writing life. Highlights include a two-hour Master Class on characterization with USA Today bestselling author Jade Lee; workshops on reviving manuscripts, building worthy antagonists, and sustaining conflict with author Kat Falls; a session on interiority with literary novelist Goldie Goldbloom; and a look at the current state of children’s book publishing with author and librarian Betsy Bird. Panels and workshops also cover memoir (with Jill Wine-Banks and Sherrill Bodine), worldbuilding and comedy (with Jody Lynn Nye), indie publishing, querying, submitting to literary journals, and public readings.
Writers ready to take the next step toward publishing can book one-on-one pitch appointments, in person or virtually, with literary agents and editors from Trident Media Group, Sourcebooks, Dafina/Kensington Books, Thompson Literary Agency, Talcott Notch, Neon Literary, The Purcell Agency, and Page Turner Literary Agency, among others. Agents and editors are seeking work across genres including literary and commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, romance, fantasy, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and books for children and young adults.
The weekend also includes breakfasts with the speakers, the Plot Twist Cocktail Party, an on-site bookstore, and the EVIE Awards, which celebrate excellence in the Evanston writing community.
“The conference is built by writers for writers at every stage of the process. Every attendee will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals and leave with new insights they can put to practical use on Monday morning,” said Debbie Fligelman, Founder and President of the Evanston Writers Workshop.
Full conference passes are $150 ($135 for EWW members). Single-day passes are $90 ($80 for members). Student discounts and scholarships are available by contacting [email protected].
Registration, the full schedule, and speaker and agent information are available at inthetrenches2026.com.
In the Trenches 2026 is supported in part by the City of Evanston Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council, with additional support from community sponsors Evanston Art Makers Outpost and Northwestern University’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations, and corporate sponsors Abel McCallister Abel and Hagerty Consulting.
