AWP recruits its board members from councils of creative writing programs and from the literary and philanthropic communities at large.

The member creative writing programs of AWP are organized regionally into councils. Member writers’ conferences, festivals, and centers also have their own council. Individual members are also represented by members on the board.

The councils are as follows:

• AWP Western Council (member programs in Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Manitoba, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming, and Pacific Rim international programs).

• AWP Southwest Council (member programs in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah).

• AWP Midwest Council (member programs in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin).

• AWP Southern Council (member programs in Alabama, Arkansas, Caribbean Islands, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee).

• AWP Mid-Atlantic Council (member programs in Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia,).

• AWP Northeast Council (member programs in Connecticut, Labrador, Maine, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Europe).

• WC&C Council (all the constituents, nationally and internationally, who pay dues to the Writers’ Conferences & Centers category of the AWP membership).

Each council convenes at the AWP Annual Conference & Bookfair every spring semester. There is also a Plenary Assembly of all program directors before the regional council meetings. These meetings are held on the Thursday morning of the conference.