Finnian Burnett

If you’re a writer, if you appreciate LGBTQ characters in novels, if you READ queer, women-loving-women literature, or if you just want to hang around with a bunch of people who fit into one or more of the above categories, you might consider checking out the Golden Crown Literary Conference annual conference.

This year, it’s going to be held in Albuquerque (amen and thank you, spell check). All the details can be found here.

What doesn’t come through on a web page is the sheer love and joy I get every time I go to one of these conferences. The classes are amazing. The presentations are informative and fun. The panels are a great way to hear from some of my favorite authors. And the author readings are an excellent way to hear from old favorites and get a sample of the work of a new author.

I love getting a chance to read from my own work. I truly enjoy presenting about the GCLS Writing Academy, a passion project of mine that seems to get better every year. And I have a lot of fun sitting on panels with my friends and fellow authors or readers, talking about important topics in women-loving-women literature today.

But all of that almost pales in comparison to my biggest takeaway from GCLS. Friendship. Connection. Community. GCLS brings together a lot of people who are passionate about a single important subject. We may have a lot of differences in other ways, but we are all there because one way or another, we care about queer women’s stories and we are all in for talking about it, listening to others talk about it, and immersing ourselves into the world of a convention about it for a few days.

Of course, being readers and writers, many of us are also introverts, so there can be a bit of awkwardness in the beginning as we learn to open up to each other and create a community. But GCLS offers group lunch tables, a con virgins meeting, a meet and greet, and other ways to get to know each other.

At my first conference, I volunteered – GCLS always needs volunteers to help things run smoothly. It’s such an excellent way to meet people. I found if I had a defined role, it was a lot easier to talk to people.

If you’re at all interested, check out the link and see what you think. There’s still time to apply for a scholarship if needed and there’s even still time to propose your own presentation or panel ideas!

What do you have to lose?