Now in its 13th year, the Northwestern University Summer Writers Conference will gather a community of North Shore and Chicago based writers for a three-day institute of workshops, panels, keynote speakers, networking events and literary readings. The Aug. 17-19 conference takes place at Wieboldt Hall on Northwestern’s Chicago campus; registration ends Aug. 6.
Organizers say the conference underscores the Chicago area’s vibrant literary community with a special focus on local writers, many of whom also teach in Northwestern’s graduate creative writing program. The three-day conference also offers attendees the opportunity to attend panels with publishers, agents and editors and will feature a wide range of instructional and inspirational events for aspiring and experienced writers.
Evanston-based novelist and Northwestern Professor Rebecca Makkai, who will give a presentation on the craft of revision, says that all writers need to come out of hiding once in a while and see some daylight and other human beings. “Chicago is one of the best cities in the world in which to be a writer,” Makkai said. “We’ve got history, community, support, inspiration, amazing bookstores, and incredible peers, but it can be hard to tap into the literary world, and conferences are a great way to start.”
The NU conference was born out of the need for writing instruction in the community — according to Amy Beth Danzer, Director of NU’s Summer Writers’ Conference and Assistant Director of Graduate Programs — and began in 2003, around the same time that the master’s in creative writing program at Northwestern was launched.
This year the conference is themed “Writing Chicago” and will feature an opening keynote by acclaimed Chicago author and Northwestern Distinguished Writer in Residence, Stuart Dybek, entitled “A Kiss Crosses the City,” on Aug. 17.
Dybek believes that for writers there is an instinctive, organic connection between landscape and language. “That’s true when the landscape is a cityscape, Chicago-scape. The urban landscape becomes the presiding image, the center of gravity that story orbits,” Dybek said.
Attendees can register for one, two or three days of the conference and participants will learn to make their dialogue pop, turn family stories into literature, develop fictional characters, and to write about comedy, sex and war.
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“Most of the workshops and panels are new this year, and we’ve added approximately 40 new authors to this year’s lineup,” Danzer said.
Opportunities for scheduling a manuscript consultation, exploring strategies in digital storytelling, travel writing and branding will also be available. New partnerships with Northwestern’s MA/MFA creative writing program, TriQuarterly, Kevin Coval and Young Chicago Authors will provide evening entertainment and networking events that will be free and open to the public.
“I’d say that having an institution like NU behind the conference means that it has terrific resources to draw on,” said author Christine Sneed, Faculty Director of Creative writing at Northwestern School of Professional Studies.
Northwestern University Summer Writers Conference
When: Aug. 17-19
Where: Wieboldt Hall, Northwestern University Chicago Campus, 339 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago
Cost: $275 for one day, $525 for two days, $750 for three days; discounts for students, alumni and staff.
Registration: Ends Aug. 6. http://bit.ly/1BHmThL