Around 1,800 miles away from Iowa City sits the sprawling Hollywood hub of Los Angeles, California, home to many famous venues and stars.

From March 26-29, it was home to the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs, or AWP, conference and book fair, including several Hawkeyes who gained insight into the future of the publishing industry.

Members of the lauded Iowa Writers’ Workshop MFA program and undergraduate English major made the journey to LA.

The conference included many panels featuring published authors and editors who spoke about different aspects of the publishing industry or craft methods they have implemented in their work. Alongside the panels, the book fair featured table displays by publishing houses, literary magazines, and universities.

Located in the rows of booths stacked high with collections of crisp novels and literary collections was the University of Iowa’s black and gold-clad display, manned by UI staff and students.

Josie Boyle, a second-year English and communication studies student at the UI, has aspirations of becoming a copy editor. She came to AWP after applying through an invitation sent by her advisor, Kate Torno.

Some of the panels Boyle attended centered around a day in the life of literary magazine editors, alternative funding for small presses, sex and religion in fiction novels, and managing editors who manage other editors.

“One of the editors on that panel [Emily Stowe] works at the University of Northern Iowa, so in our neck of the woods,” Boyle said.

In the panel, Stowe and other managing editors discussed their personal experiences working on magazines of all sizes and shared resources that have been useful to them throughout their careers.

Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe was a first-time AWP attendee who loved visiting panels in the past run by authors she’s been inspired by. She worked alongside Boyle and a collection of other undergrad and graduate writers at the UI’s tables throughout the conference.

Okupe, a graduate student in Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program, loved hearing authors read and speak in real time and delving deeper into their creative processes.

One panel that stood out to Okupe was one Boyle also attended, entitled “Holy F*ck: Women, Faith & Sex in Fiction.”

The panel focused on fiction that breaks taboos regarding religious beliefs, sexuality, and the intersection between them.

Five panelists, all of whom had experience writing about women and girls in religious communities, explored craft and content meant to bring the body and soul alive on the page. They also discussed how to navigate the discourse surrounding hot-button topics.

“The room was full of Black, woman writers, and the energy in the room was really palpable and so encouraging,” Okupe said.

Talking about her work and experiences with other writers was one of the highlights of Okupe’s conference experience.

One night, she attended a reading with the African Poetry Book Fund and saw different writers she follows on social media, meeting them in person for the first time.

“I love that I’ve been able to talk about my work with confidence and just meet cool, like-minded people,” Okupe said. “And I love all the resources and alumni around.”

Okupe particularly enjoyed her interaction with Nonfiction Writing Program alum Faith Adiele. Adiele gave Okupe tips on her work, as both writers have experience in memoir writing.

The interactions post-panel are a big part of why AWP has become such a popular convention for writers and publishers.

While many writers traveled hundreds of miles to LA for the conference, it became apparent to attendees that a big move upon entering the job market may not be necessary.

Boyle has enjoyed learning about remote publishing opportunities at the convention. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, many jobs have transitioned to online formats, meaning it is no longer necessary to live in New York City to work in publishing houses.

As publishing opportunities have begun to drift away from big cities, the UI’s presence at AWP has only grown. Over the last five years, the university has continued to promote the Writers’ Workshop as one of its flagship programs and has recognized several of its other strong writing organizations, such as its undergraduate major and literary magazines.

Sara Moninger, a UI alum who writes for the Office of Strategic Communication, helped to coordinate the UI’s presence at the convention and has assisted the program since 2020.

“I jumped at the chance to help out because I’m an Iowa City native. My dad went to the Writers’ Workshop,” Moninger said. “I know a lot about the University of Iowa, and I like to brag about my hometown.”

Moninger and several others at the UI believe it is well worth the university’s time to invest in the space and marketing opportunities at AWP.

In 2024, the UI was ranked No. 9 by U.S. News & World Report for writing and communication across disciplines. It also remained the only public institution on the list. However, instead of resting on those laurels, Moninger emphasized that the university shouldn’t take the ranking for granted.

“We still want to get the best students and the best writers, not just fiction writers or poets, but in every genre and every discipline,” Moninger said. “We’re the writing university, and we want people to know that.”

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The UI’s presence was certainly made known at the conference this year. The university tables lined the curtains of the eighth row, complete with posters of recent award-winning Writers Workshop graduates and two black couches adorned with patterned pillows. Piles of free notebooks, pens, and pamphlets covered each table, as well as black and gold flags featuring the titles of different writing genres: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

“I told students who came to the table that I love Iowa as a place for writers to be. It not only has great programs, but it also enriches and equips you to arrive at your identity as a writer,” Okupe said.

People who visited the UI tables came for many reasons, including seeking information on the undergraduate school, Writers’ Workshop, and Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

“When you’re in Iowa, you’re constantly surrounded by people who can cement the strengths and convictions that come with your writing,” Okupe said.

Accompanying the UI at the Iowa booths was the University of Iowa Press and the Iowa Review. The UI Press operates as the only university press in the state of Iowa and is dedicated to preserving the literature, history, and culture of the Midwest, while the Iowa Review is a literary magazine that publishes three issues per year.

“When people come over I like to wait because sometimes people just want to read, and I can tell they don’t really want to talk,” UI press production coordinator Meghan Anderson said. “I try to assess that and make them feel like I’m not intruding.”

This year was Anderson’s first time attending AWP, and she found the experience satisfying, but exhausting. Since AWP is a conference for writers, she frequently gets questions about how to submit manuscripts.

The submission process has evolved and changed over the years, especially recently. Anderson has noticed reactions from a lot of publishers to new AI technologies.

Many publishers are beginning to put points on their copyright page saying that they will not tolerate the usage of AI in their publications. Anderson still has no idea how exactly the influx of this technology will impact the industry moving forward.

“I’m sure it will, because that genie is out of the bottle, so there’s no putting it back,” Anderson said.

Even with the metaphorical genie emerging from the lamp to wreak havoc on the world, Anderson hopes the UI Press and other university publications will continue to provide diverse voices and perspectives.

“I remember in high school, people would tell me that there were going to be no jobs in publishing and that I was going to be replaced by AI,” Boyle said. “But there have been a lot of panels about how we can use AI to our advantage, to subtly integrate it while still preserving the authenticity of the human mind and the human craft of writing and literature.”

No matter how the industry evolves and changes, the UI has many young writers willing to take on the challenges it presents. The students who hopped off a plane at LAX on March 26 returned to the Midwest with tote bags filled, signed copies of books and literary journals, and a wealth of knowledge.

“I’ve been to a diverse set of panels so that I can explore my interests,” Boyle said. “I get to hear from people doing the things I want to do and have the careers that I would love to achieve one day.”