Hub City Writers Project hosts 17th annual conference at Wofford College

Registration has opened for the Hub City Writers Project’s 17th annual Writing in Place conference on the campus of Wofford College July 14-16. This year’s conference will feature a keynote address by Megan Mayhew Bergman of Vermont, author of the short story collection Almost Famous Woman, as well as workshops, happy hour at the Hub City Bookshop, faculty readings and more.

Published novelists, poets, and essayists lead a series of workshops over three days that include intense instruction, challenging exercises, and an opportunity for feedback. Registrants must sign up for one genre: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction.

In addition to Bergman, who is the associate director of the MFA program at Bennington College, the faculty includes Bryn Chancellor (fiction), author of “Sycamore,” a new thriller from Harper Collins; Jim Auchmutey (nonfiction), author of “The Class of ’65: A Student, a Divided Town and the Long Road to Forgiveness”; and Gary Jackson (poetry), who received the Cave Canem Prize for his collection, “Missing You, Metropolis.”

Susan Rivers, author of “The Second Mrs. Hockaday,” will give a workshop on historical fiction; and literary agent Christopher Rhodes will talk about the current market for manuscripts.

The weekend is geared toward starting a new piece of work rather than workshopping something already written, so the schedule includes “downtime” for writing as well as for networking with faculty and new friends.

The conference is held in the Michael S. Brown Village Center on the north side of campus. Lodging is available in a Wofford College dormitory and participants can sign up for 30-minute manuscript critiques with a faculty member, or the agent.

This conference is open to 48 adult writers. To register call 864-577-9349 or visit hubcity.org/conference.

– article submitted by Betsy Teter