West Virginia Universitys Department of English in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences will host the 11th annual West Virginia WritersWorkshop July 19-22 on the Downtown Campus.
In addition to the regular workshop, which is open to writers of all ages and experience, a special program will be offered for West Virginia high school students.
Twelve students will be selected to receive full scholarships, which include tuition and lodging. Those students not selected for the scholarships may attend for a reduced fee of $180 for tuition and three-day dormitory lodging at $64.77 total.
High school students interested in applying should e-mail a typed writing sample (3-5 poems or up to 15 pages of prose) along with name, address, home phone number, e-mail address, grade level and high school to Marsha Bissett, administrative assistant for the Department of English, at Marsha.Bissett@mail.wvu.edu .
The deadline for regular workshop registration and the high school program has been extended to Friday, June 15.
The regular workshop features writing classes, panel discussions, craft lectures, informal meetings and an array of poetry, fiction and nonfiction readings.
The award-winning workshop faculty includes Steve Almond, Mark Brazaitis, Nick Carbo, Maribeth Fischer, Laura Kasischke, Aleda Shirley, Sara Pritchard and Cheryl Ware.
Almond has written two story collections,My Life in Heavy MetalandThe Evil B.B. Chow,and a new book,Not That You Asked: Essays,to be published in 2007 by Random House.
Brazaitis, an associate professor in WVU s Department of English, has published several stories, poems, essays and books including a collection of short stories,An American Affair,which was awarded the George Garrett Fiction Prize for Best Book of Short Stories in 2006.
Carbo has authored three books of poems,Andalusian Dawn,Secret Asian ManandEl Grupo McDonalds,and edited three anthologies of Filipino writing,Pinoy Poetics,BabaylanandReturning a Borrowed Tongue.
Fischer has received many awards for her works, including a Pushcart Prize for her essayStillbornand a Smart Family Prize for her essayLottery.Her second novel,The Life You Longed For,was published in March 2007. Publishers in Brazil, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Norway have already purchased rights to her latest novel.
Kasischke has written four novels, six collections of poetry and a novel for young adults. Her third novel,The Life Before Her Eyes,is being made into a film starring Uma Thurman and directed by Vadim Perelman.
Shirley has published three collections of poetry,Dark Familiar,Long DistanceandChinese Architecture,and two chapbooks,Rilkes ChildrenandSilver Ending.Chinese Architecturewon the Poetry Society of Americas Norma Farber First Book Award, andSilver Endingwon the St. Louis Poetry Societys Stanley Hanks Chapbook Competition.
Pritchards second book,Lately,will be published by Houghton Mifflin this year. Her first book,Crackpots,received the Bakeless Prize for fiction and was a New York Times Notable Book for 2003. Pritchard is a WVU alumna and public relations specialist for the WVU Press.
Cheryl Ware, WVU alumna and 2006 recipient of the Eberly College of Arts and SciencesAlumni Recognition Award, has authored three middle-grade novels,Flea Circus Summer,Catty-CorneredandVenola in Love,and an educational picture book,Roberta Price Has Head Lice!.
For a brochure on the workshop, contact Bissett at Marsha.Bissett@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-3107 ext. 33404.
For more information on the program, visithttp://www.as.wvu.edu/wvww/or contact James Harms, conference director, at jharms@wvu.edu or 304-293-3107 ext. 33451.