Wordstock is a literary art and education organization that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Our mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives.

Founded by Portland author Larry Colton, our programs include Wordstock for Teachers, a professional development program for K-12 teachers that trains them to change the way they teach writing; Wordstock for Kids, our creative writing instruction program for students that works in the Portland Public Schools; an annual series of skill and knowledge workshops for practicing writers, called Wordstock for Communities; and an annual weekend showing of movies adapted from literary works, called The Wordstock Book-to-Film Festival. Our flagship program is our annual book and literary festival in Portland, by far the largest such event in the Northwest, known nationwide as Wordstock. We believe showcasing the artistic accomplishment of contemporary writers at our festival is one of the most compelling examples of writing’s power that we can provide.