Novelists, Agents, Journalists Featured at Writers Conference

Olivia DrakeMay 19, 20094min

Award-winning writers Amy Bloom, Andre Aciman, Katha Pollitt, Peter Cole and Roxana Robinson will join more than 20 writers, editors and agents at the 53rd annual Wesleyan Writers Conference, June 14-19 on campus.

The O. Henry Awards, will be a guest teacher at the Wesleyan Writers Conference in June.  (Photo by Beth Kelly)
Author Amy Bloom, whose stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories and the O. Henry Prize Stories will be a guest teacher at the Wesleyan Writers Conference in June. (Photo by Beth Kelly)

The conference offers advice for writers at every stage of their careers, featuring classes, workshops, manuscript advice, guest speakers, readings, publishing advice and talks with editors and agents. It welcomes new writers, experienced writers, and everyone interested in the writer’s craft.

“Attending the conference gave me incredible confidence,” says past participant Dr. Mara Berkley, psychologist from Providence, R.I. who came to the conference to work on her fiction. “I met wonderful people, every class was excellent, and I found a long-term mentor.”

Topics include novel, short story, poetry, journalism, documentary and family history, biography, translation and short- and long- form nonfiction. Special events include sessions on blogs and digital media with Kit Reed and Ron Hogan as well as discussions with agents and editors on the future of publishing. Among other hot topics: choosing an MFA program, preparing your work for publication and working with an editor.

A one-day festival on June 18 welcomes everyone who cannot attend the full-week program. Participants will have a chance to talk with the speakers.

Features include:

  • Master classes, panels and discussions with novelist Josh Henkin and his editor Lexy Bloom of Vintage Books; Roxana Robinson, award winning fiction writer whose novel Cost was selected by The Washington Post as one of the five best novels of 2008; Lis Harris of The New Yorker and Columbia’s MFA faculty; Alexandra Peers of The Wall Street Journal; Ravi Shankar, award-winning poet and editor;
  • The new publishing world with publisher Johnny Temple, top-ranking agent Julie Barer, and others;
  • Workshop on blogs and digital media with Kit Reed, award winning writer whose novels include Enclave and Thinner Than Thou, and Ron Hogan of Amazon.com and Beatrice.com.
  • Keynote talk by distinguished novelist and memoirist Andre Aciman.Tuition for the full-week conference, June 14-19, is $850. An all meals plan cost an additional $275 and housing is $173. The one-day festival tuition is $150 and includes all events, lunch and dinner. Advance registration required for the full-week conference and the festival. Registration is available online at www.wesleyan.edu/writers.
  • For more information contact Anne Greene, director of the Wesleyan Writers Conference at 860-685-3604 or agreene@wesleyan.edu.