About
WriterFest exists to inspire creatives, empower dream chasers, and connect diverse individuals with one common goal—bringing art into our community.
WriterFest Nashville was established by Ami McConnell in 2018 as a creative gathering for aspiring writers, published authors, screenwriters, poets, and songwriters in Nashville. Attendees enjoy keynote talks by the best book, song, and screenplay writers in the business as well as in-depth break-out sessions with professional editors, literary agents, filmmakers, and music industry insiders.
Our Team
Ami McConnell
Founder & President
Ami McConnell is an author, writer, and editor with over 20 years of experience in-house at major trade book publishers. She is also the Founder and President of Ami McConnell Literary Agency. She formerly served as Editor-in-Chief and VP of Howard Books/Simon & Schuster and as an acquiring editor at HarperCollins. Having edited numerous New York Times bestsellers and award winners, she now works with authors of all stripes to create bestselling books. She’s a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller having collaborated with singers, songwriters, psychologists, doctors, therapists, film/tv actors, and artists. She serves on the board of Women’s National Book Association/Nashville Chapter and lives in the Nashville area with her family.
Find Ami on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or at amimcconnell.com.
Sara Wigal
Executive Director
Sara Wigal is an Associate Professor and Director of Publishing at Belmont University, a unique undergraduate degree that equips students with necessary skills and knowledge to enter the book world. She serves on the leadership council of Next Chapter Society, a section of the Nashville Public Library Foundation. Over her multi-year tenure with NCS she has led the organization as a co-chair, as Fundraising Chair, and most recently as the originator of the Author Ambassador program and a member of the Membership Committee. She is the Executive Director of the WriterFest Nashville conference for writers of book, song, and screen, and of Ami McConnell Literary Agency. She is the founder of the Nashville Publishing Meetup, a group for industry contacts to network without being client-facing, which has since become WriterFest Pros. In her capacity with AMLA she acts as a literary agent, manages staff, designs and co-hosts event series, and runs A Dolly Good Time, an annual benefit for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Wigal has been published by Library Journal, The Tennessean, Publishers Weekly, Writer's Digest and various literary journals. She is an aspiring historical fiction novelist and writer of the personal essay. Find her frequently on Instagram or on LinkedIn.
Madeline Law
Managing Director
Madeline Law joined WriterFest in 2024 as Administrative Coordinator and helped launch and manage STUDIO by WriterFest, which offers a la carte editing and publishing services. She also serves as the Academic Advising Assistant in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University, and as a Junior Agent at Ami McConnell Literary Agency. In her free time, Madeline enjoys volunteering at her local Nashville Public Library in the Children's section, reading, going on adventures with friends, reading, and taking boxing classes. Oh, and reading.
Find Madeline on LinkedIn.
WriterFest Interns
Sophie Morris
Sophie Morris is a junior publishing major with a public relations minor at Belmont University. She joined the WriterFest in 2025 as a PR & Marketing Intern. She’s been a book fanatic since she was a kid and hasn’t changed in that regard. Sophie enjoys visiting independent bookstores whenever she travels to new cities. In her free time, you’ll usually find her curled up with a book or crochet project.
Find Sophie on LinkedIn.
Clara Suters
Clara Suters is an Honors junior publishing major at Belmont University. She is a founding member and secretary of the Belmont Swift Society. She enjoys travelling and exploring as many new bookstores as she can. In her free time, Clara spends a lot of time curled up with a book or taking dance classes. She joined WriterFest in 2025 as a PR & Marketing Intern.
Find Clara on LinkedIn.
Kelsey Watson
Kelsey Watson joined WriterFest as a PR & Marketing Intern in 2026. She is a senior Publishing and Spanish double major at Belmont University and is involved in leadership for the Bruin Book Club and the Towering Traditions Orientation team. A lover of storytelling, Kelsey volunteered at WriterFest for two years before joining the team as an intern. From reading to going to the movie theatre or concerts to hosting and traveling, all of Kelsey’s favorite pastimes include connecting with others over their stories.
Find Kelsey on LinkedIn.