As the preparations for our 6th edition are under way, we are ready to reveal the amazing line-up of speakers that will join us this October (14-15) in Bucharest:

Cheryl Strayed, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, turned into an Oscar-nominated film. She also wrote New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough and co-hosts the Dear Sugar Radio podcast.

Jon Mooallem, longtime contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and the author of Wild Ones, a book that investigates our relationship with nature. Jon also contributes to Pop-Up Magazine, The New Yorker and Radiolab.

Carson Ellis is a world-class illustrator, and book author. Her work includes New York Times bestsellers Home and The Wildwood Chronicles. She also made editorial illustrations for The New York Times, Poetry Magazine, and The New Yorker, among others.

Colin Meloy is the singer/guitarist and songwriter for The Decemberists band and author of the New York Times bestselling Wildwood Chronicles, a trilogy of novels for middle-grade readers.

Dvora Meyers is a writer and journalist based in New York. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, ESPN, Slate. Her book about women’s gymnastics, The End of the Perfect 10, will be published in July.

Brian Lindstrom is a documentary filmmaker, author of award-winning films such as Alien Boy or Finding Normal. Brian’s documentaries profile people society puts an “x” through and aim to reduce stigma and reveal the humanity of those living on the margins.

Cătălin Tolontan is one of the most reputable sports and investigative journalists in Romania, winner of ten “journalist of the year” awards in the past 12 years.

Tara Skurtu is a Boston-based poet and translator. She’s a Fulbright lecturer in creative writing at Transilvania University of Brașov, and is about to publish her first collection of poetry, The Amoeba Game.

Wendy MacNaughton is an illustrator and graphic journalist whose books include Meanwhile in San Francisco, Pen & Ink; Lost Cat and the New York Times bestseller Gutsy Girl, written by Caroline Paul.

Jacqui Banaszynski is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, editor, and globetrotting coach. She has been here for every edition, and is returning once again; the conference wouldn’t be the same without her.

Jonah Sachs is the Co-Founder and CEO of Free Range Studios and an internationally recognized storyteller, author, marketer, designer and entrepreneur, author of Winning the Story Wars.

Read more about them in our Speakers section.

We’ll open registrations in June!