The 48th annual Writers Conference kicked off at the University of North Dakota Wednesday, March 22. The three-day event will bring students, staff, faculty and Grand Forks community members face-to-face with noteworthy authors and artists.

This year, the theme for the Writers Conference is “Citizen.” The conference is directed by Associate Professor of English Crystal Alberts.

Authors and artists who are attending the conference this year include:

Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer, The Refugees)

Jennine Capo Crucet (Make Your Home Among Strangers, How To Leave Hialeah)

Mai Der Vang (poet with work featured in American Poets and The Cincinnati Review)

Mario Ybarra, Jr. (artist)

NoViolet Bulawao (We Need New Names)

Jeff Shotts (Executive Editor at Greywolf Press)

Layli Long Soldier (Whereas)

The schedule for this year’s Writers Conference is as follows:

Wednesday, March 22

10 a.m. – Musical performance: Red Rover Piano Trio (Ballroom)

11 a.m. – ND EPSCoR Center for Regional Climate Studies Science Café: “Helpful Hydrogels: A Useful Took for Hands-on Learning” (Lecture Bowl)

Noon – Panel: “Refuge” (Ballroom)

1:30 p.m. – Film: “Journey from the Fall” (Lecture Bowl)

2 p.m. – Community workshop: Fiction (Badlands)

4 p.m. – Jackie McElroy-Edwards and Tom Edwards Writers Conference Endowment Reading (Ballroom)

6 p.m. – Film: “The Split Horn: The Life of a Hmong Shaman” (Lecture Bowl)

8 p.m. – Reading: Viet Thanh Nguyen (Ballroom)

Thursday, March 23

10 a.m. – Public readings (River Valley Room)

11 a.m. – ND EPSCoR Center for Regional Climate Studies Science Café: “Extreme Weather of the Northern Plains” (Lecture Bowl)

Noon – Panel: “Voices” (Ballroom)

2 p.m. – On Editing and Publishing Presentation: Jeff Shotts (Ballroom)

4 p.m. – Reading: Layli Long Soldier (Ballroom)

6 p.m. – Reading: “Voices of the Valley” (Ballroom)

8 p.m. – Reading: NoViolet Bulawayo (Ballroom)

Friday, March 24

10 a.m. – Public readings (River Valley Room)

11 a.m. – ND EPSCoR Center for Regional Climate Studies Science Café: “Fractal Dimension of Remotely Sensed Data”

Noon – Panel: “Community” (Ballroom)

2 p.m. – Community workshops: poetry (Memorial), Film: “Reel Injun” (Lecture Bowl)

4 p.m. – Presentation: Mario Ybarra, Jr.

6 p.m. – Film: “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (Lecture Bowl)

8 p.m. – Reading: Jennine Capo Crucet (Ballroom)

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Matt Eidson is the News Editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]