Foster literary achievement, advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing.

Member services - serves individual, institutional, and wc&c members by providing information about creative writing, processing magazine subscriptions, and granting web access to online benefits. The department also performs surveys and assessments of writing programs. publications: the publications department brings out awp's flagship publication, the writer's chronicle, six times during the academic year. We are also responsible for the online job list, grants & award, and other features like news, moveable type, and awp's blog-the writer notebook. The department also conducts three contests for writers each year -the award series, the intro journals award, and the national program directors' prize for undergraduate literary magazine. The department is also responsible for the design, layout, and management of all print projects for all departments of awp. conferences: our annual conference gathers writers, teachers, publishers, students, editors and literary arts professional from all over the world. The conference features discussions, readings, literary workshops, panels and keynote speech. Bookfair is also part of the annual conference allowing small presses to be part of this vibrant community. nea grant