Roundtable by the Sea Literary Festival and Conference welcomes proposals for critical papers, full panel discussions, and workshops about literature, creative writing, and education. The conference also welcomes creative submissions across genres, including literary, video, and hybrid. We encourage proposals that cross institutional, disciplinary, and/or experiential boundaries. The broad theme for the conference is Wonder, Possibility, and Community: Literature in an Age of Polycrisis. We welcome work that connects with this theme by highlighting or interrogating the role of literature in building community in a fractured world, though we will also consider work that falls outside of this focus.

Featured authors for the inaugural festival include Donna Jones Alward, Renée Belliveau, Lana Button, Sue Sinclair, Mark Blagrave, and Teri Kingston (with more to be announced soon). The conference will be held at the Dunn Theatre and Fundy Discovery Aquarium at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and various additional venues throughout Saint Andrews. A multi-day book fair will feature publishers, authors, and other literary- and literacy- focused organizations. Vendors and exhibitors are welcome; please contact Kate Roberts Bucca or Dominic Miller Bucca, Conference Organizers, at roundtablebythesea@gmail.com to learn how you can be a part of Roundtable by the Sea.

Participants may submit individually or collaboratively. Submitters are limited to one entry per category and may appear on the program at most twice, as either presenters or workshop leaders. In this inaugural year, we are able to accept submissions in English only. By submitting, the author affirms that they have not used generative AI in their abstract or writing sample and, if accepted, they will not use generative AI in their presented work. Presentations about research regarding generative AI (e.g., AI and literature or education) may include AI-generated work, so long as it is disclosed and contextualized within the research.

Submission Process

Deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm ADT on August 31, 2026. Proposals are reviewed and either accepted or declined on a rolling basis, and all notifications will be sent by September 14. Early submissions are encouraged. Every presenter will need to register for Roundtable by the Sea Literary Festival and Conference. Tickets will go on sale on August 5, 2026, at 7 pm ADT.

Email submissions to roundtablebythesea@gmail.com. Please use the subject line: Roundtable by the Sea Submission, [Type of Submission]. Example: Roundtable by the Sea Submission, Individual Creative

Individual Critical/Critical-Creative Submissions

Please send as 2 separate attachments

1. Cover sheet: Name as it is to appear in the program with any institutional affiliation, paper title, and a biographical statement (no more than 250 words).

2. Abstract of 250-300 words for a presentation of 15- to 20-minutes. Please be sure to omit all references to the author and the author’s name.

Individual Creative Submissions

Please send as 2 separate attachments

1. Cover sheet: Name as it is to appear in the program with any institutional affiliation, paper title, and a biographical statement (no more than 250 words).

2. Writing or video sample suitable for a 15- to 20-minute presentation. Please be sure to omit the author’s name.

Full Panel and Roundtable Submissions

Sessions are to be designed for a 90-minute time slot. The organizer should submit the following documents as 2 separate attachments:

1. Cover sheet: Names and institutional affiliations, titles of works submitted, and biographical statements.

2. Depending on the subject of the submission, please submit either: a) Abstract, omitting all references to the author and author’s name (250-300 words), or b) Writing samples suitable for 15- to 20-minute presentations.

Workshop Submissions

Workshop sessions are to be designed for a 90-minute time slot. We welcome a wide range of workshop proposals, including but not limited to creative and pedagogical focuses. Please send as 2 separate attachments

1. Cover sheet: Name as it is to appear in the program with any institutional affiliation, workshop title, and a biographical statement (no more than 250 words).

2. Description of the workshop (250-300 words), preferred maximum number of participants, and, if a creative writing workshop, short writing sample. Please be sure to omit the workshop leader’s name.

Travel & Accommodations

Saint Andrews by the Sea is a scenic drive away from four airports: approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes from Saint John, NB airport; 1 hour, 40 minutes from Fredericton, NB airport; 2 hours, 40 minutes from Moncton, NB airport; and 3 hours from Bangor, ME airport (with an international land crossing). The town is home to many local accommodations, including Huntsman Hospitality, the Algonquin Resort, Treadwell Inn, Kennedy Inn, Windsor House, Salty Towers, St. Andrews Inn & Suites, Europa Inn, and more.

Conference Organizers: Kate Roberts Bucca, PhD, MFA (they/she); Dominic Miller Bucca, MFA (he/him).

Conference Partner: Bucca dell’Acqua: Books, Art, & Other Necessities

For any questions and/or to volunteer as a peer reviewer, please contact the organizing committee at roundtablebythesea@gmail.com.