Join Us July 18-20, 2026

ATTEND

Watch Free via Livestream

Don’t miss our free livestream happening all weekend long! Saturday, July 18 to Monday, July 20.

If you can’t join us in person or simply prefer the comfort of home, you can still experience the 2026 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference from anywhere in the world—for free. Tune in to hear some of today’s most celebrated writers, journalists, historians, and thinkers. No registration required.

View the full livestream schedule at svwc.com/livestream.

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2026 Writers
& Presenters

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Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Sarabeth Berman

Sarabeth Berman

Peter Godwin book

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart book

Susan Orlean book

David Gelles book

Amor Towles book

Rick Atkinson book

Derek Thompson book

Abby Phillip book

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane book

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby book

Julia Lovell book

Michael Pollan book

Virginia Evans book

Atul Gawande book

Jill Lepore book

Liaquat Ahamed book

Simon Rich book

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat book

Susan Choi book

Theo Baker book

Kiran Desai book

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough book

Shelley Read book

David Sanger book

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis book

Sarabeth Berman

Peter Godwin book

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart book

Susan Orlean book

David Gelles book

Amor Towles book

Rick Atkinson book

Derek Thompson book

Abby Phillip book

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane book

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby book

Julia Lovell book

Michael Pollan book

Virginia Evans book

Atul Gawande book

Jill Lepore book

Liaquat Ahamed book

Simon Rich book

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat book

Susan Choi book

Theo Baker book

Kiran Desai book

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough book

Shelley Read book

David Sanger book

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis book

Sarabeth Berman

Peter Godwin book

Gary Shteyngart

Gary Shteyngart book

Susan Orlean book

David Gelles book

Amor Towles book

Rick Atkinson book

Derek Thompson book

Abby Phillip book

Robert Macfarlane

Robert Macfarlane book

Sebastian Mallaby

Sebastian Mallaby book

Julia Lovell book

Michael Pollan book

Virginia Evans book

Atul Gawande book

Jill Lepore book

Liaquat Ahamed book

Simon Rich book

Julian Brave NoiseCat

Julian Brave NoiseCat book

Susan Choi book

Theo Baker book

Kiran Desai book

Barbara Wansbrough

Barbara Wansbrough book

Shelley Read book

David Sanger book

Amy Bowers Cordalis

Amy Bowers Cordalis book

Sarabeth Berman

Latest Updates

News

SVWC 2026 FREE Events & Community Programming

Join us for a week of free literary arts July 18-20! We have more ways than ever…

June 25 2026

News

The Live Watch Party Returns to The Argyros This July

June 5 2026

News

Pavilion Passes on Sale June 2

May 21 2026

News

SVWC 2026 FREE Events & Community Programming

June 25 2026

News

The Live Watch Party Returns to The Argyros This July

June 5 2026

News

Pavilion Passes on Sale June 2

May 21 2026

Read More

Our Work in the Community

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Who We Are

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Writer in the World

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All the Ways to Join SVWC 2026

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Free Lawn Talks

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2026 Schedule & Program

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Featured Content

Podcasts

The Paris Novel

Videos

2025 Liz Moore – THE GOD OF THE WOODS

Videos

2025 Wright Thompson – THE BARN

Videos

2025 Erling Kagge – AFTER THE NORTH POLE

Videos

2025 Oren Cass – THE REORIENTATION OF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES

Videos

2025 Evan Osnos – THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-YACHTS

Videos

2025 Theodore H. Schwartz – GRAY MATTERS

Podcasts

What the Middle Ages Has Done for the Modern World

Podcasts

SVWC 2025 Writer in the World

Podcasts

The Haves and Have-Yachts

See More

Inside the most dangerous job in medicine.

Inside the most dangerous job in medicine.

with Ted Schwartz | July 21, 2025

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Thank you to a community like no other... 🫶 ⁠
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Every year, SVWC is made possible by an extraordinary gathering of people. To our writers, moderators, volunteers, staff, board, production teams, partners, vendors, donors, attendees, neighbors, and community members throughout the Wood River Valley—thank you for your generosity, your curiosity, and your countless contributions to another unforgettable Conference.⁠
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We couldn't do it without you.⁠
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#SVWC2026 #SunValleyWritersConference #SVWC2026 #WoodRiverValley #LiteraryCommunity

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What a ride. Hearts open, minds full. Until next year... ⁠
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We love this community! #SVWC2026⁠
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📸: @talroberts

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Words that linger long after the conversation ends.⁠
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"I don't live to write. I think I write to live."⁠
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— Gary Shteyngart, Sun Valley Writers' Conference 2026

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That's a wrap on #SVWC2026. ❤️⁠
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For three remarkable days, writers and readers gathered beneath the Idaho sky to share stories, ask difficult questions, laugh often, and leave a little changed.⁠
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Whether you joined us for a single talk or the entire weekend, we hope you left with new ideas, new authors to read, and memories you'll carry with you long after the Conference. Thank you to everyone who made this year's gathering so special.⁠
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We're already looking forward to next year.⁠
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Photo: @rayjgadd

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TONIGHT at 5:30pm! Don't miss one of this year's breakout literary stars. Virginia Evans—author of the internationally bestselling The Correspondent and winner of the 2026 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel—joins us at The Community Library. @virginia.l.evans⁠
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In-person registration is currently full, but you can still livestream the conversation for free (link in bio)—no registration required.⁠
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Thank you to our partners, @thecommunitylibraryketchum, for making this event possible.⁠
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📸 : Austin Joffe

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Leaving with memories... and an inexplicably heavy tote bag. Same time next year? #SVWC2026 #SVWC2027⁠
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📸: Ray Gadd @rayjgadd & Kirsten Shultz @kirstenshultz_photography

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Another one in the books 📚... highlights from the last day of #SVWC2026!⁠
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Photos: Kirsten Shultz @kirstenshultz_photography & Ray Gadd @rayjgadd⁠
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#SunValleyWritersConference #SunValley #BookLovers #ReadersOfInstagram #LiteraryFestival

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A gathering of great minds… 📚 #SVWC2026

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Meet Finn, one of the youngest attendees at this year’s Writers’ Conference! His parents got engaged here a few years ago, and they called it a “full circle moment” to have their nine-month-old son here for his first SVWC experience. 📚❤️

These are the stories we’ll take with us, along with all the other moments—big and small—that made #SVWC2026 so special.

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Some of the unforgettable voices of #SVWC2026. ❤️

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To our future journalists—the most important thing you need to know from a fearless young journalist who took on Stanford—and won. Thanks, Theo Baker! @tabsterbaker

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Once upon a weekend... highlights from day two at #SVWC2026! ⁠
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Photos: Kirsten Shultz @kirstenshultz_photography & Ray Gadd @rayjgadd⁠
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#SunValleyWritersConference #SunValley #BookLovers #ReadersOfInstagram #LiteraryFestival

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Your bookshelf called. It has room. #shelfcare

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Two brilliant pieces of writing advice from our wildly successful debut novelists, Virginia Evans and Shelley Read. “Sit your butt in the chair!” @virginia.l.evans @shelleyread.author

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Scenes from Day 1 of #SVWC2026!⁠
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📸 : Kirsten Shultz @kirstenshultz_photography

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A beautiful start to #SVWC2026.
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Photos: @rayjgadd⁠
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#SunValleyWritersConference #SunValley #BookLovers #ReadersOfInstagram #LiteraryFestival

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Our favorite weekend of the year is here... let the stories begin. 📚 #SVWC2026⁠
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📸 : Cooper Morton @cooper___morton

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Don't miss our free livestream happening all weekend long! Saturday, July 18 to Monday, July 20.⁠
⁠
If you can't join us in person or simply prefer the comfort of home, you can still experience #SVWC2026 from anywhere in the world—for free. Tune in to hear some of today's most celebrated writers, journalists, historians, and thinkers. No registration required.⁠
⁠
View the full livestream schedule at svwc.com/media/livestream.

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TWO DAYS TO #SVWC2026... 📚 Don't miss the next five jam-packed days full of conversations with Ken Burns, Amor Towles, Beth Macy, Atul Gawande, Susan Orlean, Michael Pollan, Virginia Evans, and many more. Even though our Full Conference Passes have sold out, there are so many ways you can join #SVWC2026 without a full pass.⁠
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FREE Pavilion Lawn Talks – bring a picnic or low-back chair and we'll see you on the Pavilion Lawn for select talks! This year, we also have shaded seating in Tent B. No registration required.⁠
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FREE Livestreaming – Can't join us in person? Livestream select talks from the comfort of your own home for free! No registration required.⁠
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Live Watch Party ($25 per day) – Join us for a Live Watch Party of SVWC content at The Argyros theater in downtown Ketchum! Passes are on sale now.⁠
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FREE Community Speaker Series – in partnership with The Community Library, we hosted Julian Brave NoiseCat on July 15 and will host Virginia Evans, author of The Correspondent, on July 21. These talks are both full, but free livestreaming is available.⁠
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FREE for Local Students, Teachers, and Librarians – Local Wood River Valley students, teachers, and library staff are invited to join us for all Pavilion Talks. There is limited seating available, so check in at the Information Desk 30 minutes prior to each talk.⁠
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FREE Digital Media Library – Browse select audio and video content on our website from past events and stay tuned for 2026 talks after the Conference.⁠
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Pavilion Pass ($50 - $100, SOLD OUT) – these tickets to select Pavilion Talks range from $50 for a single talk or $100 for a curated two-talk package⁠
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Learn more at svwc.com/free. We'll see you there, booklovers! 📚

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Our final voice of #SVWC2026 belongs to the Pulitzer Prize-winning military historian Rick Atkinson and his majestic The Revolution Trilogy, specifically the most recently released second volume, The Fate of the Day, which covers the years 1777-1780 when George Washington’s exhausted army struggled to hold on. Atkinson’s dramatic and detailed account offers a vivid portrait of General Washington’s crucial leadership and reminds us how brutally long the War for Independence actually was. Atkinson, who was featured in Ken Burns’s most recent documentary, will take us on to the battlefields and introduce us to the courageous commanders who led the fight and the often ragtag young soldiers—White, Black, and Indigenous—who fought and died under their command.⁠
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Don't miss his talk, "The Momentous Fight for American Independence," on Monday, July 20 at 4:30 pm in the Sun Valley Pavilion! Here are all the ways to watch:⁠
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Bring your picnic and enjoy free seating on the Pavilion Lawn⁠
Watch from anywhere with our free livestream at svwc.com/livestream⁠
Reserve a seat at our Live Watch Party (passes on sale now)⁠
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See you there! 📚 ✨ ⁠
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Subscribe for updates at svwc.com/subscribe.⁠
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Photo Credit: Elliot O’Donovan

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