10th Annual Writers’ Conference free and open to the public
BETHLEHEM, PA, March 6, 2024: Today, Moravian University announced that the 2024 Moravian Writers’ Conference: “Write to Explore” will be held March 21-23, 2024. The “Write to Explore” conference is free and open to the public (no writing experience necessary). Programming will focus on the value of writing in our society today, how writing can be used as a tool to promote social justice and peace, what professions draw on storytelling skills, and how we use story-sharing to make connections to our own histories and each other. The conference will feature a series of readings, talks, workshops, and guided discussions.
The first two days of the conference will be held on Moravian University’s Main Street (North) campus in the Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex, while Saturday events will take place in Foy Concert Hall (342 Main Street) on Moravian University’s Priscilla Payne Hurd (South) campus.
On Friday, March 22, in the Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex, Professor Emeritus and conference founder, Joyce Hinnefeld, will moderate a discussion with currently incarcerated individuals who will participate virtually. On the same day in the same location, No River Twice group will offer an improvised poetry reading where the audience and poets interact, poem by poem, to co-create a reading that is never the same. Professor and conference co-director Liz Gray (Chang) will be appearing as a member of this group. A brief Q&A with the poets will follow.
On Saturday, March 23, Dr. Javier Ávila will host a Craft Talk on “Page Poetry” versus “Performance Poetry,” discussing the process of writing poetry that is meant to be performed as part of a one-man show and the journey of putting together a performance that blends poetry and storytelling for large audiences. This event will take place on the Priscilla Payne Hurd (South) campus in Foy Concert Hall. Ávila will also give a performance entitled “The Trouble With My Name,” later in the evening in the same location. This performance blends comedy and poetry to shed light on the American Latino experience, delivering a unifying message about the value of education, history, and allyship. This performance will be followed by a brief Q&A.
Ávila is a professor of English as well as a poet, novelist, and public speaker. Javier writes in both English and Spanish, and his work has earned him numerous awards, including his most recent honor as the recipient of the Cultural Arts Award given by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. In 2015, he was named Pennsylvania’s Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation.
Registration for this event is now open. For event details and registration information, please visit 2024 Moravian Writers’ Conference.
Event contact(s):
Moravian University Writers’ Conference Committee members:
Kate Brandes, Liz Gray and Liz Kameen (Conference Committee members) Email: writersconference@moravian.edu
Website: http://www.moravian.edu/writersconference
Media contact:
Moravian University
Michael Corr
Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications
corrm@moravian.edu
610.861.1365
About Moravian University
Moravian University is the nation’s sixth-oldest university, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that blend liberal arts with professional programs. For more than 275 years, the Moravian University degree has been preparing students for reflective lives, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian University is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U), a national consortium of selective, small to midsize independent colleges and universities dedicated to the purposeful integration of liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement. Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how the Moravian University focus on education for all prepares its students for life-long success.
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