UK History faculty Nancy Dye had suggested using surplus funds from Undergraduate Studies to bring women writers to campus.
A 16-member committee from the departments of English, Honors, Undergraduate Studies, and Special Collections, along with members of the Lexington community, produced the conference.
In 1998, the conference lost university funding when it was unable to find a sponsoring department, and its advisory board established itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
In 2002, President Lee Todd reinstated support for the conference to demonstrate the university's commitment to women's programming and community events.
Howell launched several free community events that have become signature offerings of the conference, including the Gypsy Slam, the Sonia Sanchez Series, and the Hardwick/Jones keynote reading on mentorship and collaboration.