Wordstock is a literary art and education non-profit 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.

Our literary arts and education 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 Writers; 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. Although it only began in 2005, Wordstock is already the largest celebration of literature and literacy in the Pacific Northwest, and is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the nation.