Award-winning, best-selling author Erin Entrada Kelly to give virtual keynote address
WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware Art Museum is hosting its fourth annual Wilmington Writers Conference, but this year all events will be offered online. The theme of Untold Stories will be explored through the virtual keynote address, a full slate of craft sessions via Zoom, and online networking opportunities.
“The Wilmington Writers Conference has been popular in the past, but this year, since everything will be offered online, we are looking forward to broadening our audience and including participants of all experience levels and backgrounds from Delaware and beyond,” said Eliza Jarvis, Manager of Youth Learning and Creative Partnerships and Conference Chair.
The virtual conference will kick off at 7 pm on Friday, July 17, 2020 with a virtual keynote address by acclaimed author Erin Entrada Kelly, who received the 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, the 2017 APALA Award for The Land of Forgotten Girls, and the 2016 Golden Kite Honor Award for Blackbird Fly, among other honors. She is a New York Times bestselling author whose work has been translated into several languages. Her fifth book and first fantasy, Lalani of the Distant Sea, received six starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by the New York Public Library, The Horn Book, Booklist, BookPage, and others. All of Erin Entrada Kelly’s books are Junior Library Guild Selections. In 2018, Hello, Universe and You Go First were both acquired for adaptation. Hello, Universe is being adapted by Netflix, and You Go First is being adapted for the stage. Kelly’s keynote address on Friday, July 17 will be free and open to the public, but requires pre-registration. Signed copies of Erin’s books, including We Dream of Space, will be available for sale at the Museum Store.
Writers and aspiring writers of all backgrounds are welcome to register for up to two craft sessions on Saturday, July 18 at the rate of $15 for Members of the Delaware Art Museum, $20 for Non-Members, and $10 for students. Registration is now open at delart.org.
The craft sessions on Saturday, July 18 feature a diverse range of offerings:
- Lois Hoffman, The Happy Self Publisher—Write! Publish! Sell!
- Cass Lewis—Fighting Fear Through Voice
- Gary Zenker—Jumpstart Your Creativity Using Flash Fiction
- Carol Maurer—Using a Labyrinth as a Creative Tool
- Caroline N. Simpson—Exercising the Mind’s Eye
- J. Bryan Tuk, Esq.—Copyright Law: The Artist’s Best Friend
- Dennis Lawson—Turning Lemons into (Fictional) Lemonade
- Maria J. Keane—Mary Magdalene: Sinner and/or Saint—Let’s Get it Right!
- Jacinta S. Fontenelle—A Perspective on Immigration in the United States: Untold Stories
- Margaret Montet—The Charms of Travel Writing
The conference will conclude at 5 pm on Saturday, July 18, 2020 with an all-conference share-back, a series of breakout groups in which participants will be invited to share stories from the day, read pieces of new writing, and network. Bring a drink and a snack and make it a virtual happy hour!
For more information about the Wilmington Writers Conference, including artist biographies, session descriptions, and registration, please visit delart.org.
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Acknowledgment of Support
This program is sponsored by the Art Bridges Foundation and The Happy Self Publisher. This project is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.