Wordplay 2023—FAQs

BASICS

When will Wordplay take place?

Wordplay will take place July 8 from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. 

When can I find out which authors are coming?

The bulk of the 2023 lineup is now available. More exciting names will be added to the lineup throughout the month of May. The full festival schedule will be available in early June. 

Where is Wordplay being held?

Wordplay will take place in and around the Loft at Open Book (1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415). More information on the festival footprint will be available soon. 

What kind of weather should I expect?

We’re hoping for beautiful and sunny weather this July, but Wordplay will go on rain or shine! Make sure you check the forecast the week of the festival and plan accordingly.

 

ATTENDING

How much does it cost to attend Wordplay? 

Wordplay 2023 general admission tickets for adults 18+ are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Youth 17 and younger are free, but we do appreciate advanced registration for those as well! If you’d like to support Wordplay further, we do have individual sponsorship opportunities. This support helps ensure that we can cover the costs of this major event and provides some enhanced access and VIP seating. 

Wordplay Classes (cost varies) have not yet been announced and will have separate, one-time costs. Class access does not include festival access. 

Do I need to register for each Wordplay event? 

No, general admission gives you access to all of the events taking place during the festival. However, each event is first-come, first-serve. 

 

FESTIVAL EVENTS

Will the festival authors sign books? 

Yes! Festival authors will sign books after their appearances. More information will be coming as we get closer to the festival. 

Will there be an exhibitor fair at the festival? How do I sign up?  

Yes! We expect a vibrant group of community partners, independent authors, craft artists, and other one-of-a-kind vendors.  

Wordplay offers exhibitor partners the opportunity to reach thousands of book lovers ready to buy their products or learn about their services. Marketplace partners stretch beyond just booksellers and authors to also include local nonprofits, organizations, and artisans. There is still time to be part of Wordplay. If you’d like to take part, please apply here! 

 

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Will there be writing classes at the festival? 

Yes! However, Loft Classes at Wordplay are separate from General Festival Access tickets and require you to sign-up in advance. These classes are limited in capacity. Class offerings will be coming soon! 

 

PUBLICITY & SOCIAL MEDIA

Is there a festival hashtag? How do I find festival social media? 

There is a hashtag! It is #loftwordplay, and look for the Loft Literary Center on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

I'd like to write about or cover the festival as a media member. Who should I contact? 

Please send all Wordplay-related press requests to Megan Anderson at megan@bellmontpartners.com.

 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

I'm a publishing professional interested in having an author join Wordplay. Who should I contact?  

Please reach out to Director of Special Events, Shahenda Helmy, at shelmy@loft.org with author pitches. 

Submissions for the 2024 festival will open in July 2023. Please visit loftwordplay.org for more info.

I'm a writer. Can I present my work at the festival?  

Invitations are issued at the discretion of the festival director, who creates the program well ahead of each festival. The Loft Literary Center receives hundreds of submissions from publicists and authors wishing to present at the festival. The festival focuses on discussion and conversation among writers/artists, but does include a few single-author events. Events are interviews or “in-conversation” style and moderated panel discussions. We welcome your suggestions, but due to the large volume of unsolicited submissions received, the Loft Literary Center is unable to respond to every submission individually or to return materials sent for consideration.

To submit a book to Wordplay, please refer to our book submission guidelines here. There are a limited number of openings on our lineup still available; please use the Author Application to submit your information, and a member of our team will reach out if there is a fit. 

We expect to open submissions for Wordplay 2024 in July 2023.

If the scheduled lineup doesn't work this year and you still want to be involved, you can also join the festival as an independent exhibitor. 

I'm a writer. Will there be an opportunity for me to connect with publishers about my work?  

While many publishers will be in attendance at the festival, they're attending to support the authors who are featured and their books, and we ask that you don't use Wordplay as a basis to reach out to them. Our Wordsmith Conference in the fall is a great way to learn more about publishing and writers and connect with those professionals. 

Can you put me in touch with an author on the program?   

For privacy reasons, we are not able to pass on contact details for authors presenting at the festival. We also cannot pass on messages. The best way to contact our guest authors is through their publisher or agent or through the contact information on the author’s website.

How do I sign up to volunteer for the festival?   

Thank you! We couldn’t pull this off without our amazing volunteers. Please sign up here (loft.org/festival/get-involved) if you’d like to volunteer. 

How do I become a sponsor of the festival?   

Inquiries related to sponsoring Wordplay may be sent to Kaitlyn Bohlin at kbohlin@loft.org. You can find more information on sponsorship at loft.org/festival/get-involved. 

How do I donate to support Wordplay?   

We welcome individual sponsors of Wordplay. Individual sponsorship also comes with benefits. Learn more on our get involved page.

In addition, you can pledge your support to the festival with either a sustaining or one-time contribution to The Loft Literary Center through our website and adding “Wordplay” to the order notes. Questions about donating may be sent to our Development Director Kaitlyn Bohlin at kbohlin@loft.org.

 

MORE INFO

What is the best way to stay informed on Wordplay updates?  

Register for Wordplay! We will be reaching out to ticketholders with updates as we have them.

In addition, you can subscribe to the Loft’s monthly e-news and continue to check online for the latest news! Find us on Facebook, Twitter (@loftliterary), and Instagram (@loftliterarycenter), and follow the hashtag #loftwordplay on social media.

What is the anti-harassment policy?   

The Loft Literary Center has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, age, body size, disability, appearance, religion, citizenship, pregnancy. Harassment includes but is not limited to: stalking, verbal or physical intimidation, offensive verbal comments, physical assault and/or battery, harassing or non-consensual photography or recording, bathroom policing, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome physical attention.

Attendees must respect common sense rules for public behavior, personal interaction, common courtesy, and respect for private property. The Loft Literary Center and/or any of the festival venues reserve the right to revoke, without refund, tickets of any attendee not in compliance with this policy. Persons not in compliance with this policy may be reported to event security or other authorities. Persons finding themselves in a situation where they feel their safety is at risk or who become aware of an attendee not in compliance with this policy should immediately locate a member of security or a staff member so that the matter can be handled in an expeditious manner. We value your presence and appreciate your respect for each other.

What is the Loft?   

Founded in 1974 (incorporated in 1975), The Loft Literary Center is a haven for readers and writers; one of the largest centers of its kind in the country. Our mission is to advance the artistic development of writers, foster a thriving literary community, and inspire a passion for literature.

This work is essential. We believe that story, verse, and writing aren’t just nice things to have, or to put up on a shelf, but are core to a full existence. At their best, words help us connect, entertain, mourn, provoke, educate, and empathize.

We accomplish our work by bringing essential conversations, artists, readers, and learning opportunities together under one roof.

Each year the Loft engages more than 5,000 beginning, intermediate, and advanced writers in learning opportunities, hosts more than 250 authors in readings and dialogues that draw more than 15,000 people, connects with more than 200,000 unique visitors through digital resources on our website, collaborates with at least 30 local and national organizations to enrich the literary environment and, through contracts, awards, and grants, pays writers more than $500,000.
In their evaluations, 96% of students report that their class helped them improve their writing, 91% identified their next steps as a writer, and 94% would recommend their class to others.

What if my question wasn't answered here?   

If you have additional questions, please contact us at wordplay2023@loft.org.