|
|
 |
|
|
| Posted 06.03.08 |
Annual Writers Conference Features New One-Day Festival
|
 A
special one-day “Festival of the New” and National Book Award-winning
novelists Ha Jin (pictured at left) and Robert Stone will be among the
highlights, along with more than 20 writers, editors, and agents, at the
52nd annual Wesleyan Writers Conference, June 15-20 on campus.
The nationally-recognized writers program features classes, workshops,
manuscript advice, guest speakers, readings and talks with editors and
agents. It welcomes new writers, experienced writers and everyone interested
in the writer’s craft.
 “At
the conference you not only work with remarkable writers like Ha Jin, Robert
Stone (pictured at right), but you also make close friends you'll talk to
for years,” says program director Anne Greene. “Both new and experienced
writers value the conference as a place share their experience and gain some
perspective on their work.”
Faculty writers will also include Katha Pollitt, a poet, essayist, and
columnist/blogger for The Nation; Ravi Shankar, the producer/founding
editor of the International Online Journal of Arts and Literature;
Roxana Robinson, author of short story collection A Perfect Stranger
and the forthcoming novel Cost; Honor Moore (pictured below), author
of the
 forthcoming
memoir The Bishop's Daughter; William Finnegan, a staff writer at
The New Yorker; among others.
Topics include the novel, short story, poetry, journalism, memoir, biography
and longform nonfiction. Eiko Otake, world-renowned dance artist, offers a
workshop on movement and language. Other hot topics include graphic novels,
publishing in the digital age, freelance writing, and publishing your first
book.
A one-day program on June 19, titled “Festival of the New,” welcomes people
who cannot attend the week-long program. From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
participants will take part in classes and discussion sessions on novel and
short story writing, nonfiction and memoir, journalism and freelance
writing, and a special words-movement-translation workshop. Festival of the
New also includes panels on publishing and new media, agents and editors and
a keynote lecture and book signing by Ha Jin.
Festival faculty include Jess Row, fiction writer selected as one of
Granta's 2007 Best New American Novelists; Roya Hakakian, poet, documentary
film-maker, and author; Alexandra Peers, noted freelance writer and former
editor, reporter and columnist at The Wall Street Journal; Eiko Otake,
dance/theater artist; Johnny Temple of Akashic Books, publisher of urban
literary fiction and political nonfiction; Amanda Stern of New York City’s
Happy Ending reading and music series; John Kulka, expert on digital
publishing and founding editor of the Best New American Voices
anthology; agents Julie Barer, Esmond Harmsworth and Daniel Mandel; and
editors Denise Roy of Simon and Schuster, Elizabeth England of the literary
magazine Epiphany, and John Kulka of Harvard University Press.
Participants will have a chance to talk with the speakers during the
day-long series. Guests are welcome to attend any or all of the events.
"The Festival of the New, an intensive one-day event, is a wonderful chance
to meet celebrated new writers and learn about fiction, nonfiction,
journalism, freelance writing and new forms of publishing,” Greene says.
“We're bringing agents, editors, and publishers as well as special guests Ha
Jin and dance artist Eiko Otake, winner of a MacArthur fellowship, who
explores movement, language, and performance.”
Advance registration is required for the full-week conference and the
festival. The cost is $850 to $1,298 and scholarships are available.
For more information or to register for the conference call 860-685-3604 or
go to
http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/conference/
|
|
Information provided by Anne Greene. Photo of Robert Stone from booksoup.com. |
|
|
 |
|
|
