The Antioch Writers’ Workshop (AWW) was initiated by Antioch College, which put out a call for ideas on ways to use the campus effectively in the summer. Two retired professors, Judson Jerome, a well-known poet, and William Baker, an experienced college administrator, dean, and teacher, answered the call in 1986 and began the AWW. From the beginning, the workshop created a community of writers who mingled faculty and students informally throughout the day as well as during classes and seminars. Our mission was to encourage good writing, and we organized a summer week-long workshop as well as (in some years) a one-day fall workshop.

In 1991, a group formed a board of trustees and reorganized to sponsor the summer AWW using the college as fiscal agent; then in 1993, formed its own 501(C)(3) nonprofit entity. AWW has brought many well-known and talented writers to Ohio over the years, including Sue Grafton, Ellen Gilchrist, William Least Heat-Moon, Joyce Carol Oates, Melissa Fay Greene, Natalie Goldberg, Sena Jeter Naslund, and Nicholas Delbanco. AWW has also highlighted prominent Ohio authors, including Allan W. Eckert, John Jakes, and Virginia Hamilton.

Starting in 2009, AWW is presented in partnership with Antioch University McGregor (AUM).

We encourage creative writers at all levels through inspiring, unique, and inclusive opportunities for developing writing craft, personal growth, and professional connections. AWW embraces diversity, provides high professional and artistic excellence in all programs, and seeks to cultivate a true community of writers. Through open-to-the-public evening readings by top-notch faculty and students, AWW also brings unique opportunities to hear a diverse range of writers to the Southwest Ohio region. These high standards ensure that AWW remains at the forefront of writing communities nationwide.