The Berkshire Festival of Women Writers (BFWW) exists as a collaborative space for Berkshire women writers to interact with each other, nurture their artistic voices, and carve a niche for themselves as creative leaders.
The festival features year-round events that create opportunities for nationally-recognized and renowned women writers to inspire the next generation of passionate local authors.
This blog aims to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the BFWW over the last decade and continue the inspirational work it stands for through educative content focused on helping budding women writers reach the peak of their talents. We’re here to support women literary creatives from all backgrounds and genres on their journey to getting their voices heard.
Since 2011, the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers has provided a platform for women writers of all ages to engage and interact through workshops, screenings, performances, discussions, and readings. The event, which holds around March every year, seeks to inspire women creatives who are yet to find their voices and the courage to share their truth. Renowned women writers from Berkshire county and across the United States anchor each interactive session, sharing their stories and lessons from their journey to spur the next generation of authors to literary success.
The various big-name personalities that feature at the BFWW cut across different writing genres, including fiction, non-fiction, journalism, and poetry. Throughout the last decade, some of the notable names to appear at the festival include Ruth Reichl, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Veronica Chambers, Laura Didyk, Dani Shapiro, Ellen Doré Watson, Grace Rossman, and Nina Ryan. These individuals have inspired thousands of women writers from Berkshire and across the United States who have participated in the BWFWW since its inception.
Every year, the BFWW features diverse educational content and interactive sessions. Interviews, workshops, screenings, stage performances, readings, and brunch talks are some of the festival's significant headliners. These different aspects of the event tackle a wide range of topics and issues in writing and literature. Participants also get involved in several writing-related tasks to expand their abilities and talents as writers. For example, during the 2016 edition of the BFWW, authors Jacqueline Sheehan and Ellen Meeropol, while anchoring a discussion on creating villains for fictional stories, gave attendees writing prompts they could use to practice. These practice sessions are part of the festival's mission to encourage women writers to be the best they can be in their various genres.
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