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May 2, 2024
Writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry will come together once again for three days of writing workshops, panel discussions, networking events and readings during Northwestern University’s Summer Writers’ Conference.
Acclaimed Chicago author Stuart Dybek, Distinguished Writer in Residence at Northwestern, will give the opening keynote titled “A Kiss Crosses the City,” on Thursday, August 17.
Registration is required for the conference, which will take place August 17-19 at Wieboldet Hall, 339 E. Chicago Avenue on the Chicago campus. Attendees can register for one, two or three days of the conference.
Participants will learn how to make dialogue pop, turn family stories into literature, develop fictional characters, write comedy, sex, war and more. Attendees also will hear from writing industry leaders on branding, digital storytelling, travel writing and beyond.
Forty new instructors and presenters have been added to this year’s program, and writers with all levels of experience and backgrounds are welcome.
Keynote schedule:
- August 17 – Stuart Dybek, “A Kiss Across the City”
- August 18 – Ines Bellina, Lindsay Hunter, Parneshia Jones, Fawzia Mirza and Megan Stielstra, “Tell it to the Page and Yell it to the Sky: On Writing and Performance”
- August 19 – Live lit storytelling show “You’re Being Ridiculous”
The full conference schedule is available on the School of Professional Studies website.
New this year, each day of the conference will end with a networking reception at 4:30 p.m., followed by a literary reading at 5:30 p.m.
Literary reading schedule:
- August 17 – NU Creative Writing Program Graduate & Faculty Reading
- August 18 – TriQuarterly Reading
- August 19 – “A People's History of Chicago” event featuring Kevin Coval and local guests
Advance registration is required. Early registration rates run through July 21: $250 for one day, $475 for two days or $675 for the entire conference. After July 21, rates increase to $275, $525 and $750. Reduced tuition is available for students and Northwestern alumni. For more information or to register online, visit the School of Professional Studies website.
