A Recap of My First AWP Experience (Spoiler: It Was Amazing!!) ✍️✨

my thoughts on friends, writers, & community - welcome to The Slush Pile!

As a bonus issue of The Slush Pile falls upon us (Issue 44 to be exact!), I’m still recovering from the incredible, inspiring, and exciting experience that was the AWP Conference & Bookfair last week! I only went for one day but it was such a much-needed balm for my writer self, my work, and my ever-constant desire and need to connect with my creative community.

For those of you who don’t know, AWP stands for the Association of Writers and Poets, and, in addition to providing resources, publishing a magazine, and offering member-only content, the organization puts together this conference every year in different cities and states around the U.S. like Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Baltimore (next year!). In the past, I believe it was only in-person but due to the pandemic, it became virtual, and this year they utilized a hybrid model to incorporate both in-person and virtual elements.

The goal of the conference, at least from what I saw, is to bring together writers, authors, editors, publishers, students, writing organizations and programs, and more from all over the world together in one place. You can attend panels, signings, readings, Q+As, and events at the convention center or hall where it’s being held or virtually through Zoom. It’s a once-a-year occurrence where people who love writing gather with one another, exchange ideas, get inspiration, connect and network with others, and participate in this wonderful, beautiful community.

I’ve never been and honestly, for a long time I simultaneously felt jealous and looked down on people who did. It’s by no means cheap to attend, with tickets for non-members priced at over $500 and over $150 for students on the day of. If you register early, you can get it down to $290 or $65 for students, but that’s still a significant amount of money that, if you are a writer, know that it isn’t easy to come by for those of us who work full or part-time and do writing on the side (which is most of us, btw). Not to mention those who have to travel out-of-state and pay for flights, food, and lodging for four days if they’re planning to attend the whole conference.

These price points alone are enough to ward most people off and admittedly, I was one of them. It felt too exclusive and out of my reach, and I really just didn’t want to bother. This writer’s life isn’t exactly a wealthy one and it’s almost abhorrent to ask people to pay those prices.

But I also didn’t want to be gatekept out of a space that said it was the one-stop-shop for writers, or at least that’s how it was talked about through word-of-mouth. If you’re a writer, you have to go! When I found out that this year’s conference was happening in LA, I knew I had to go, not only being an LA-based writer but also because the conference literally couldn’t be any closer to me. So I decided to try to worm my way in, and signed up for their work-exchange program. Basically, if you work a four-hour volunteer shift, you get in for free! Pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

I arrived at the L.A. Convention Center at 7:30am (yes, I actually did) and staffed the registration kiosk where I helped people scan their barcodes, printed out their conference badges, handed them their lanyards, and pointed them in the direction of the pile of free tote bags. I must’ve spoken to hundreds of people over the course of that four-hour duration but it was surprisingly much more fun than I expected, even if I did slightly lose my voice. Though it was stressful at times, especially with those who had to get special entrance into the conference like booksellers, tablers, and other vendors, it was also really nice to get to speak to people face-to-face. I even ended up helping people I already knew and said hi to, like authors Ruben Reyes and Lorna Dee Cervantes.

It was fun to joke around with friends and strangers, including my fellow volunteer who was staffing the same table with me. I loved the adrenaline and rush of it, the thousands of people who came in at the crack of dawn to check in and confirm their registration. I’m the kind of person who takes comfort in doing the same task over and over again, so it ended up working out.

After my shift was over, that’s when the rest of the conference really started to kick in for me. I explored the book fair and exhibit hall, where I ran into even more people I knew from following each other online. I was able to speak to representatives from two of my dream MFA programs and introduce myself (so they learn to recognize my name when my application pops up in their inbox soon - we love getting our foot in the door every which way!). It was truly an incredible feeling, all of my LA friends and community showing up here in this same place, all drawn together by the promise of sharing space together. That was probably my favorite part, running into all these people I knew and yapping about writing, careers, our lives, our current projects, and our hopes and dreams for the future.

I attended two different panels, one about how to start a novel down to the first sentence, paragraph, and chapter, which was super helpful for me as I draft my novel. I loved how some of the authors showed a before and after version of their novel openings because it proves how important the revision process really is. I, for one, will never forget the advice about how the end of a novel should really be a reimagining of the beginning. The other panel was about how to write about disability in YA novels, which again, was super helpful for me as I embark on this draft of mine. All three of the panelists were disabled in some way; two were blind and one had chronic pain and an autoimmune disorder. I ended up learning a lot about how to better represent disability in my stories and, of course, the importance of seeking sensitivity and beta readers to ensure authenticity and accuracy.

With my friend Ayling, I also attended a Latinx Writers Caucus, which was a gathering of Latinx writers discussing issues that we face as a community. It was hosted by some of my favorite Latinx community members, writers, and poets like féi hernandez, and it was so cool getting to see them up close and personal. I was especially grateful for how féi opened up the session with a land acknowledgment, as well as the acknowledgment of the Palestinian genocide, the current administration’s abhorrent anti-immigrant, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ policies, among other issues. It was reassuring to know that there were people at this conference that felt the same way I did about things, that everything to do about writing is infused with politics and political and personal choice.

As a first-time attendee, I was really lucky that my welcome into AWP was so lovely, warm, and special. I felt lucky in the months and weeks leading up to the conference when I was asked to be on a panel (which unfortunately wasn’t approved by AWP) and perform my poetry at three different readings. And I felt beloved when I was actually doing them to spectacular audiences who were all in, who were engaged, who wanted more of me and all the other readers who steps up to perform. I loved it when people snapped, gasped, cheered, laughed at something I wrote my bedroom. When there have been times that people weren’t very invested or interested, it was amazing to have people participate so much in the act of being an audience member and enjoy my words in real-time and lose their shit when it was only my name that was being announced. It was exciting and humbling, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for this love.

Obviously, there were things I didn’t love about the conference, like how it was incredibly crowded and overwhelming in the convention center, and I couldn’t help but think of those with anxiety or sensory issues. I also didn’t love the food they had available on-site for purchase except for a really well-made iced chai latte, mostly because of how expensive everything was (and also cash-only). I was only there for the day but I couldn’t imagine trying to find something to eat there for four days straight. That’s a no for me, thanks!

If I decide to attend another AWP conference, I’d definitely sign up again for the work-exchange program because that got me an easy free ticket in and it was more fun that I expected. I’d try to bring my own food next time or look for nearby food spots, as well as have my business cards on-hand to give to friends and strangers that I meet. I’d want to do the same amount of readings but also would put myself out there more in order to be invited to speak at panels (especially since my picture book will be out by this September), have book signings, or even create program proposals of my own and recruit writers I know to join.

In fact, to all my friends going to AWP next year, please take this as a sign to invite me to panels/readings/signings/events that have anything to do with poetry, queer liberation/visibility/representation, the Latinx community, immigration, family, picture books, zine-making, community organizing, writing for children and teens, balancing writing and work, and just about everything in-between.

And if you’ve never been to AWP before, take this as your sign to consider it and try going if you can take time off work and get the funds to go. If any of the above experiences sound fun, you won’t be disappointed. Until next time, AWP!

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notes from the writer’s desk ✍️

• my favorite recently pub’d pieces:

  • 15 Latinas Throughout History We Should Know About, HipLatina

• updates:

  • ⭐️AVAILABLE TO ORDER!⭐️ LOS ANGELES, the zine anthology I co-edited with my friend and poet Paula Macena is officially out! Please place your orders here! All proceeds from the zine go towards the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which supports incarcerated fire crews through scholarships, training, certification, and job acquisition upon release, with the ultimate goal of ending mass incarceration across California. Order today!

  • ⭐️AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER!⭐️ I’m so excited to announce that my debut children’s book, Queer Latine Heroes, is now available for preorder!! The book spotlights past and present queer heroes from Latin America and the U.S. and is forthcoming from Jessica Kingsley Publishers on September 18, 2025. Find all the options to preorder here!

  • ⭐️WATCH MY TEDXTALK!⭐️ I’m thrilled to share that my TEDx talk, “The Power of Stories in Representing Our World” is now LIVE on YouTube! It would mean the world to me if you could watch, like, comment, and share with your classrooms, group chats, and everyone you know. Thank you for your support! Watch the talk here!

• resources:

  • Looking for book recommendations? Check out my Bookstagram and TikTok to keep up with what I’m reading and loving right now! On TikTok, you’ll also get more snippets of my everyday writing life and lifestyle/fashion content. See you there!

other stories i’m loving 📖

• currently reading:

  • Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sanchez

• currently watching:

  • Bob’s Burgers, S6

• currently listening to:

  • “warm” by Ariana Grande

all my love,

sofía xx