Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop : University of Dayton, Ohio

The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop

The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop has been dubbed the "Woodstock of Humor" and a "utopia" for writers — one "that only appears every other year, out of the mist, on the edge of the Great Miami River in Dayton, Ohio (like Brigadoon)."

The workshop's mission is simple: to encourage and inspire writers in the same way that celebrated columnist and author Erma Bombeck '49 found encouragement and inspiration at the University of Dayton.

Its mantra is timeless: "You can write!"

Mark Your Calendar

Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop

The Writer magazine has called the biennial Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop the best writing conference in Ohio and "THE conference for humor writers."

Our next workshop is slated for March 30 - April 1, 2028. Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter to receive workshop information and learn about other events.

Additional Erma Events

Explore more events and competitions, including Erma Home Schooling and the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition.

Humor Writer of the Month

Erma Bombeck Writer Workshop

06.01.2026

Humor Writer of the Month: Pamela Chandler

Pamela Chandler, a Dayton-area writer, columnist, humorist and blogger, is our Humor Writer of the Month for June.

When humor goes, there goes civilization.

Erma Bombeck

The Latest from Our Blog

Erma Bombeck Writer Workshop

6.2.2026

Lament for Swimsuit Shoppers, with Apologies to Lewis Carroll

Finding a new suit to replace my waaay-pre-pandemic model should not be as hard as swimming the English Channel, starting from Cape Cod. My takeaway: Swimsuits are not supposed to double as circus tents.

Erma Bombeck Writer Workshop

6.2.2026

Our Un-Empty Nest

When our youngest and quietest daughter recently graduated from high school and immediately requested that we host a bonfire fueled by her notebooks, folks began congratulating my wife and me on becoming "empty nesters."