The University of North Dakota is set to host their 57th Annual UND Writers Conference March 25-27. Each year there is a new theme, this year being “Fables & Futures” which focuses on “tales yet to be told”. The conference is free and open to the public, and most events can be attended in-person or online.
The conference was founded in 1970 and has since then hosted a variety of well-known authors. It serves the Grand Forks community by being a three-day event that fosters collaboration, learning, and writing. Through panels, open mic events, discussions, workshops, and readings, writers come together to share their experiences and knowledge to help each other grow in many ways.
This year’s conference features authors George Saunders, Maria Dahvana Headley, Anna Maria Hong, Megan Kamalei Kakimoto, Ananda Lima, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera and Amber Sparks. The various authors will host their own readings and workshops as well as come together for panel discussions about literature. All events are open to the public.
A reading list that features the work of these authors can be found online for anyone who hopes to familiarize themselves with the literature before attending events. By doing this, you become better prepared to ask questions and get the most out of the experience. However, if you do not have time to read all the literature, there is still plenty to learn from attending these events.
Leading up to the main event, there have been a variety of smaller events to prepare for the conference. Throughout the month of February, the Grand Forks Public Library has hosted a public workshop series where the focus was on the literature that will be featured at the conference. Along with this, there was a book discussion held on March 21. The books discussed were “Vigil” by George Saunders, and “Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil” by Ananda Lima, both featured authors of the Writers Conference. These events help community members prepare for the conference.
All Writers Conference related events will be hosted at UND’s Memorial Union. Community members are welcome to park in the parking ramp nearest to the location. The conference is a great opportunity for anyone interested in writing and literature to expand their skills, form connections, and spend time with like-minded individuals.
Although the event is free and open to the public, they kindly ask attendees to register before to make everything run a bit more smoothly on the day. So, if you are considering going, be sure to register early and enjoy all that the Writers Conference has to offer this year!
Nora Lee is a Dakota Student Section Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].
