55th Wesleyan Writers Conference Convenes in June

For more than five decades, late spring has been a season for writing at Wesleyan, and a distinguished cohort of literary talents will assemble in Middletown next month for the 55th annual Wesleyan Writers Conference.

Roxana Robinson, Amy Bloom, Honor Moore and Arthur Phillips – whose new novel, The Tragedy of Arthur, was reviewed on the cover of the May 1 New York Times Book Review – will be among more than 20 professional literary artists, editors and publishers on campus from June 16 to June 20.

“We are very serious about the work that we do,” says Anne Greene, director of the conference, which counts literary titans Eudora Welty, Edward P. Jones, Robert Stone and David Halberstam among its past faculty.

Well established as an attraction for fiction and literary non-fiction writers, the conference this year also offers a number of new panels, including writing about science and medicine, featuring Joseph J. Fins ’82, MD, and writing for television, featuring Peter Blauner ’82. An award-winning mystery writer, Blauner now writes for Law and Order Los Angeles.

In all, about 70 writers are expected to participate this year, including  established and aspiring writers, teachers, judges, physicians, bankers and at least one former U.S. ambassador. They’ll refine their skills in close work with the professionals.

As always, students will be able to submit manuscripts for review by conference faculty and consult with them one-on-one.

A distinguished group of top editors and agents will advise participants about preparing their work for publication. Speakers include:

Pamela Dorman ’79, a veteran of Viking Penguin and Hyperion; Andre Bernard, former publisher of Harcourt Brace; Johnny Temple ’88, editor and publisher of Akashic Press; and agents John Silbersack and Mel Flashman of Trident Media.

The full conference, which has rolling admission, has a $975 tuition fee, with additional (optional) costs for meals and accommodations for five nights.

A one-day program will be held June 18.

For a schedule of the 2011 Wesleyan Writers Conference and a complete listing of faculty, see http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/conference/.