Women Writers Conference announces inaugural event
CONWAY — The C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference will host its inaugural event Nov. 3 and 4 at the University of Central Arkansas, with headliners Tayari Jones and Cara Brookins.
The conference is open to all, though it will cater to women and women-identifying writers from all genres and all experience levels, from journalism to mass-market books to literary endeavors and beyond. The conference’s goal is to provide a space for camaraderie, connectionmaking and inspiration.
“Given that women authors experience many fewer opportunities to publish than men, we are thrilled to be hosting this important event at UCA,” said Sandy Longhorn, conference director and assistant professor of creative writing.
The conference will include a lecture by Jones at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 in UCA’s College of Business Auditorium, followed by a reception. Jones is the author of the novels Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow and An American Marriage, which is forthcoming from Algonquin Books in February. Jones has also been a recipient of the Hurston/ Wright Legacy Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and an NEA Fellowship, among other honors.
Nov. 4 will feature a lunchtime lecture from Brookins at 12:15 p.m. in the McCastlain Hall Ballroom. Brookins is the Little Rock-based author of Rise: How a House Built a Family, a memoir about Brookins’ experience of building a house with her own hands after leaving an abusive relationship.
Rise was a 2017 Indie Next Pick from the American Booksellers Association.
In addition to Brookins’ talk, Nov. 4 will include a book fair and craft talks featuring information on writing, publishing and editing; practical advice from experienced women writers on how to balance writing, work and home life; and readings from creative works. For a list of accepted panel proposals, visit cdwrightconference.org.
“Our panels and readings feature women writers from across the country, especially the South,” Longhorn said. “This lineup is sure to offer valuable advice and entertainment to writers and readers alike.”
The conference registration fee is $100 until Thursday. From Friday until the start of the conference, the fee is $135. On-site registration will be available. Registration fees include access to events, on-site catering and parking passes. Attendees may also choose to attend the Nov. 4 lunchtime event only, featuring a talk by Brookins and a buffet lunch, for a cost of $25.
To register for the conference, visit cdwrightconference.org/ conference.html.
The C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference is named in honor of C.D. Wright (1949–2016), one of America’s foremost poets. Wright was born in Mountain Home and published more than a dozen books. Among her many honors are a National Book Critics Circle Award, two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.