| 5th ANNUAL MWG WRITERS CONFERENCE |
2011
Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best
fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal- Constitution and as an April
2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning
books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt's
Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers"
selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her novel, Reign of Madness,
about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and
Ferdinand, will be released August 4, 2011. An avid traveler and historian,
Cullen lives in Atlanta.
fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal- Constitution and as an April
2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning
books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt's
Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers"
selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her novel, Reign of Madness,
about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and
Ferdinand, will be released August 4, 2011. An avid traveler and historian,
Cullen lives in Atlanta.
Sefi Atta is the author of Everything Good Will Come, News From Home
and Swallow. She was born and raised in Lagos and trained as an
accountant in London. She began to write while working as a CPA in New
York. In 2001, she graduated with an MFA in creative writing from Antioch
University, Los Angeles. Her short stories have appeared in journals like
Los Angeles Review, Mississippi Review and World Literature Today, and
have won prizes from Zoetrope and Red Hen Press. Also, a playwright, her
radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC and her stage plays have
been produced in Nigeria. She is the winner of PEN International’s
2004/2005 David T.K. Wong Prize and the 2006 Wole Soyinka Prize for
Literature in Africa. In 2009, she served as a juror for the Neustadt
International Prize For Literature and received the Noma Award For
Publishing in Africa. She has taught creative writing at University of
Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University and Northwestern
University. She currently lives in Meridian, Mississippi with her husband Dr.
Gboyega Ransome-Kuti and their daughter Temi.
and Swallow. She was born and raised in Lagos and trained as an
accountant in London. She began to write while working as a CPA in New
York. In 2001, she graduated with an MFA in creative writing from Antioch
University, Los Angeles. Her short stories have appeared in journals like
Los Angeles Review, Mississippi Review and World Literature Today, and
have won prizes from Zoetrope and Red Hen Press. Also, a playwright, her
radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC and her stage plays have
been produced in Nigeria. She is the winner of PEN International’s
2004/2005 David T.K. Wong Prize and the 2006 Wole Soyinka Prize for
Literature in Africa. In 2009, she served as a juror for the Neustadt
International Prize For Literature and received the Noma Award For
Publishing in Africa. She has taught creative writing at University of
Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University and Northwestern
University. She currently lives in Meridian, Mississippi with her husband Dr.
Gboyega Ransome-Kuti and their daughter Temi.
Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning and best-selling
author, a business owner and a licensed death scene
investigator. She has been an active paranormal investigator for
over fifteen years. She served four years as President of the
Horror Writers Association, eight years as President of the
Writers Guild of Acadiana and is the current president of Mystery
Writers of America's Southwest Chapter. Deborah is also the
founder of the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national
campaign designed to encourage more people to read and
Literacy Inc., a non-profit organization with a mission to fight
illiteracy in America's teens. Her latest novel is THE WOLVEN.
author, a business owner and a licensed death scene
investigator. She has been an active paranormal investigator for
over fifteen years. She served four years as President of the
Horror Writers Association, eight years as President of the
Writers Guild of Acadiana and is the current president of Mystery
Writers of America's Southwest Chapter. Deborah is also the
founder of the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national
campaign designed to encourage more people to read and
Literacy Inc., a non-profit organization with a mission to fight
illiteracy in America's teens. Her latest novel is THE WOLVEN.
Annette Fix is the author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir, a finalist in
Foreword Magazine's 2009 Book of the Year Award. She was recently offered
an option to develop her story as a cable television series. Annette is the
former Senior Editor of WOW! WomenOnWriting.com, an online magazine
written by, for, and about women in the publishing industry. Under her
editorship, the site celebrated its first and second year on the list of the Writer's
Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers. Annette provides freelance services that
include manuscript analysis and comprehensive editing. In addition to speaking
at national writer’s conferences and regional organizations, Annette teaches
online and in-person classes. When she’s not wrestling her muse or igniting the
creative inspiration of her students, Annette enjoys attending and performing in
spoken-word shows in Los Angeles.
Foreword Magazine's 2009 Book of the Year Award. She was recently offered
an option to develop her story as a cable television series. Annette is the
former Senior Editor of WOW! WomenOnWriting.com, an online magazine
written by, for, and about women in the publishing industry. Under her
editorship, the site celebrated its first and second year on the list of the Writer's
Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers. Annette provides freelance services that
include manuscript analysis and comprehensive editing. In addition to speaking
at national writer’s conferences and regional organizations, Annette teaches
online and in-person classes. When she’s not wrestling her muse or igniting the
creative inspiration of her students, Annette enjoys attending and performing in
spoken-word shows in Los Angeles.
Diane Williams is currently the Arts Industry Director and
Accessibility Coordinator for the Mississippi Arts Commission,
where she works with single discipline non-profit organizations, as well
as with literary artists. She is also a host for the agency’s weekly radio
program, The Mississippi Arts Hour. Also a professional storyteller and
published poet and author, Diane has written numerous articles that
have appeared in magazines, journals and other publications around
the country. Her newest releases, The Storytelling Classroom –
Applications Across the Curriculum and Literacy Development in the
Storytelling Classroom, with co-authors/editors Norfolk and Stenson
books won Storytelling World Award (2008 and 2010 respectively). She
has written a children’s book and produced audio stories both original
and adapted folktales. Williams has been with the Commission for over
eight years and looks for opportunities to connect with the literary
community.
Accessibility Coordinator for the Mississippi Arts Commission,
where she works with single discipline non-profit organizations, as well
as with literary artists. She is also a host for the agency’s weekly radio
program, The Mississippi Arts Hour. Also a professional storyteller and
published poet and author, Diane has written numerous articles that
have appeared in magazines, journals and other publications around
the country. Her newest releases, The Storytelling Classroom –
Applications Across the Curriculum and Literacy Development in the
Storytelling Classroom, with co-authors/editors Norfolk and Stenson
books won Storytelling World Award (2008 and 2010 respectively). She
has written a children’s book and produced audio stories both original
and adapted folktales. Williams has been with the Commission for over
eight years and looks for opportunities to connect with the literary
community.
| FOR CONFERENCE DETAILS, CLICK HERE |
| MWG thanks its 2011 conference partners, speakers and volunteers! |
| MEET OUR EDITORS |
Kevin Morgan Watson is the founding editor of Press 53, a small
literary publishing company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is
publisher of Prime Number Magazine, an online literary journal. As a
publisher and editor, Kevin has worked with writers ranging from newly
published authors to winners of the National Book Award and Pulitzer
Prize. He is also an award-winning short story author and poet, whose
works have appeared in numerous publications. Kevin serves as an
advisor on adaptation of short stories to screenplays for the screenwriting
faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of
Filmmaking.
literary publishing company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is
publisher of Prime Number Magazine, an online literary journal. As a
publisher and editor, Kevin has worked with writers ranging from newly
published authors to winners of the National Book Award and Pulitzer
Prize. He is also an award-winning short story author and poet, whose
works have appeared in numerous publications. Kevin serves as an
advisor on adaptation of short stories to screenplays for the screenwriting
faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of
Filmmaking.
Walter Biggins is a book acquisitions editor at
University Press of Mississippi (UPM), as well
as a writer and blogger at Quiet Bubble (quietbubble.
wordpress.com). For UPM, he acquires 25-30 books
annually in the fields of African American studies,
popular culture studies, American literature, and
Southern studies. His essays and columns—on film,
music, literature, baseball, and other subjects—have
appeared in Salon, Jackson Free Press, PopMatters,
The Baseball Chronicle, and Hymnal.
University Press of Mississippi (UPM), as well
as a writer and blogger at Quiet Bubble (quietbubble.
wordpress.com). For UPM, he acquires 25-30 books
annually in the fields of African American studies,
popular culture studies, American literature, and
Southern studies. His essays and columns—on film,
music, literature, baseball, and other subjects—have
appeared in Salon, Jackson Free Press, PopMatters,
The Baseball Chronicle, and Hymnal.
Mississippi Writers Guild welcomes Lorelei Books as its on-site conference bookstore. This is the fourth year owner Laura Weeks and Lorelei Books have worked closely with MWG in this endeavor. Please contact Laura at Lorelei Books if you are interested in selling and autographing your books at the conference. For Lorelei Book Form, click here. |
| 2011 Mississippi Writers Guild On-Site Bookstore - Lorelei Books, Vicksburg, MS |
Darlin' Neal is the author of the short story collections,
Rattlesnakes and The Moon (Press 53, March 2010) and the
forthcoming, Elegant Punk (Press 53, 2012). Among her
many awards are this year's D.H. Lawrence Fellowship from
the Taos Summer Writers Conference and a Literary Arts
Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission. Her
stories have been widely published in such journals as
The Southern Review, Shenandoah, Puerto del Sol,
Smokelong uarterly, Eleven Eleven, The Rio Grande
Review, and The Best of The Web Anthology. Her fiction
and nonfiction have been nominated numerous times for
the Pushcart Prize. She holds an assistant professorship
in the MFA program at The University of Central Florida
where she is Fiction Editor of the Florida Review. She
also serves as faculty advisor to UCF's undergraduate
literary arts magazine, The Cypress Dome, and for The
Writers in The Sun Reading Series for which she brings in
writers of national caliber each semester. She serves as
an editor for Blip Magazine, formerly the Mississippi
Review online.
Rattlesnakes and The Moon (Press 53, March 2010) and the
forthcoming, Elegant Punk (Press 53, 2012). Among her
many awards are this year's D.H. Lawrence Fellowship from
the Taos Summer Writers Conference and a Literary Arts
Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission. Her
stories have been widely published in such journals as
The Southern Review, Shenandoah, Puerto del Sol,
Smokelong uarterly, Eleven Eleven, The Rio Grande
Review, and The Best of The Web Anthology. Her fiction
and nonfiction have been nominated numerous times for
the Pushcart Prize. She holds an assistant professorship
in the MFA program at The University of Central Florida
where she is Fiction Editor of the Florida Review. She
also serves as faculty advisor to UCF's undergraduate
literary arts magazine, The Cypress Dome, and for The
Writers in The Sun Reading Series for which she brings in
writers of national caliber each semester. She serves as
an editor for Blip Magazine, formerly the Mississippi
Review online.
| A special thanks to Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) for supporting the mission of Mississippi Writers Guild by awarding a project grant to MWG for the 5th year! |