English professor Jennifer Brice (left) in conversation with authors at the °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± Writers Conference
Associate Professor of English Jennifer Brice will direct the °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± Writers Conference, June 16β22, as it approaches its 25th year.
Started in 1996 by Professor of English Fred Busch, the conference has long been directed by Professor Matt Leone.
Each summer, as many as 90 writers attend the week-long conference. More than half of them are returning attendees, and roughly one third are °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± alumni.
Although it offers many of the traditional elements of a writersβ conference, including daily workshops and craft talks, the °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± conference has a number of qualities that make it distinctive.
βFor one thing, our conference has a real reputation for being warm and welcoming, especially to writers who are young in their careers,β Brice said. βAnd itβs a great part of °Δ²ΚΏͺ½±βs portfolio in the arts.β
The conference attracts participants of all ages and genres, from around the country and the world. Many are looking for feedback on an in-progress or completed manuscript as well as tips on how to get published. Some simply wonder if theyβre meant for the writing life.
°Δ²ΚΏͺ½± professors Peter Balakian, CJ Hauser, and Brice herself will serve as faculty at this yearβs conference. They will be joined by 10 additional faculty, including writers, editors, and agents.
. Workshops are being offered in the novel, the short story, the essay, narrative nonfiction, and young adult writing. A new addition this year is a generative workshop for people who want to jump-start a project.
For the first time ever, the °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± Writers Conference is offering two full fellowships β the Porch Fellowship, named for the tradition of socializing on the Merrill House Porch every evening, and the Matt Leone Fellowship, in honor of the long-serving conference director. Scholarship funds are also available.
Leone is stepping back from the directorship this year in order to write a conference history that will serve as the introduction to a second volume of craft talks. Crafting Fiction, Poetry and Memoir: Talks from the °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± Writersβ Conference was published by the °Δ²ΚΏͺ½± Press in 2008.
For more information and to apply, visit .