James River Writers Conference 2011 October 7, 2011

Faculty/ Presenters: Kitty Kelley, celebrity biographer; Robert Goolrick, author of A Reliable Wife; Tayari Jones, author of Leaving Atlanta; Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath; National Book Award winner John Casey; Karl Malantes, author of Matterhorn: a Novel of the Vietnam War, and more.

Beginning with "First Pages Critiques" we offer two days of cross-genre sessions, bringing aspiring writers together with professionals to share the ups and downs of the writing life in an intimate setting where conversation is encouraged and one-on-one meetings with literary agents are available.

On Thursday, October 6, for an additional fee, writers may choose from four workshops on fiction, poetry, how to write an effective query letter, and how to pitch an agent. Each workshop is $40.

Algonquin Books Executive Editor Chuck Adams says our conference is one of the best he has ever attended. C.S. Friedman writes, "I've never had so many panels full of erudite colleagues and intelligent questions. I would recommend this conference to anyone trying to better their craft or their publication prospects, and any writer that would like a stimulating weekend among colleagues."