Grand Mesa Writers' Symposium

The first annual Grand Mesa Writers’ Symposium is a creative sharing and learning event featuring talented authors and skilled writing teachers. Situated in the small town of Cedaredge at the base of Grand Mesa, the largest flattop mountain in the world, the symposium features a trio of gifted writers who have indelible connections to the wild Western Slope of Colorado. Holding forth in the town’s Grand Mesa Arts Events Center, novelist Shelley Read, historian Timothy Winegard, and poet Wendy Videlock will utilize large and small group settings to discuss their award- winning works. And a cadre of working authors and writing teachers will present workshops touching on timely topics related to fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

You may purchase tickets for the Writers' Symposium Event, which includes the Friday Meet & Greet, all workshops, and the Saturday Evening Event showcasing all three Featured Writers.

OR, you may purchase tickets for the Writers' Symposium Event plus Office Hours with one of the featured writers

OR you may purchase tickets for Saturday only, which includes the Friday Meet & Greet, all workshops, and the Saturday Evening Event showcasing all three Featured Writers.

OR, you may purchase tickets for the Saturday Evening Event only.

OR you may purchase tickets for Sunday only, which includes the Friday Meet & Greet and Sunday workshops.

Friday Events

Meet & Greet with writers in the Art Garage - wine & light appetizers

GMAEC Outdoor Summer Concert Series with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra’s spirited ensemble Sinners & Saints

Saturday Evening Event

This headline event showcases our three keynote speakers — Shelley Read, Timothy C. Winegard, and Wendy Videlock. Each writer will read from their work and Christie Aschwanden will moderate a conversation between them about the genesis of their work, sense of place, and their creative process.

Featured Writers:

Shelley Read

Shelley Read’s international bestselling debut novel, Go As A River, has been translated into thirty-four languages and is in development for film with Mazur Kaplan Productions. Winner of the High Plains Book Award for Fiction and the Reading the West Award for Best Debut, Go As A River is also a Sunday Times bestseller, Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, Amazon Editor's Pick Best Debut, Indie Next Pick, and Colorado Public Radio Books We Love selection, among other national and international accolades. Shelley was an award-winning Senior Lecturer at Western Colorado University for nearly three decades where she taught writing, literature, environmental studies, and honors. She is a mom, mountaineer, world traveler, and fifth generation Coloradan who lives with her family in the Elk Mountains of the Western Slope.

Dr. Timothy Winegard

Dr. Timothy C. Winegard is a New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity (2024) and The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator (2019). His works have been published globally in more than fifteen languages. He holds a PhD from the University of Oxford, served as an officer in the Canadian and British Armies, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, television programs, and podcasts. Dr. Winegard is an Associate Professor of History at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. As a true Canadian, he is also the head coach of Colorado Mesa University's Hockey Team. Visit his Colorado Mesa University information page: 

www.coloradomesa.edu/directory/social-behavioral-sciences/timothy-winegard.html

Wendy Videlock

Wendy Videlock lives on the outskirts of Palisade at the foot of The Grand Mesa.  She's authored five books of poetry, a children's book and a collection of essays.  Her work appears most notably in Best American Poetry, the New York Times, Poetry Magazine, Hudson Review, Rattle and O Magazine. Wendy is the winner of the Keats Soul Making Prize, the PTB Sonnet Prize, the AMP Sonnet Prize, the Fisher Prize and the Cantor Prize. Her syndicated newspaper column, The Barefoot Laureate, appears across the Four Corner states. Wendy also teaches for THINK360 and directs several literary  programs across the region, advocating for the arts in public spaces. Wendy serves as poet laureate of Western Colorado. Learn more HERE.

Workshops

Workshops on Saturday and Sunday will cover a variety of topics for successful writing and publishing. See schedule for details.

Office Hours

Office Hours is an intimate setting with featured writers (limited to 12 participants). You’ll have a chance to ask questions as the writer discusses her/his work and shares insights into her/his writing process. See schedule for details.