The annual Allen and Company Sun Valley Conference offers for media moguls and politicians, the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference provides for luminaries of the written word: a spectacular but relaxed venue to share ideas, inspire one another and engage with an audience that holds reading and writing up as one of the great pursuits in life.
In its 23rd year, the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference will take to the Sun Valley Pavilion and lawns June 30 through July 3 for four days of keynote talks, panel discussions, and small breakout sessions. The theme for the 2017 conference is “A Question of Character.” Speakers this year include Colson Whitehead, David Brooks, Lauren Groff, Billy Collins, Jeffrey Toobin, Maria Semple, Dave Barry, and Abraham Verghese.
Imbolo Mbue. Courtesy Penguin Ramdome House / Kiriko Sano
While the conference is, in general, a ticketed event, there will be free community events as well. Imbolo Mbue, who won this year’s PEN/Faulkner Award for her novel “Behold the Dreamers,” will give a reading and participate in a Q&A on June 29. There will also be two public lawn talks on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2.
Tickets for the Pavilion talks, which are free for students and teachers, can be purchased at svwc.com. The website also features audio recordings of archived talks from past years.