It’s been a bumpy couple of weeks in Alaska! We hope everyone in the earthquake zone is feeling safe and more settled. The week after the quake, we hosted Yukon poet and novelist Joanna Lilley in Juneau, Cordova, and Anchorage, and she presented lovely readings, craft talks, and well-attended workshops in all three cities. Joanna even joined 49 Writers executive director Jeremy Pataky for a post-quake poetry event at the Anchorage Museum. We look forward to future literary collaborations with our northern neighbors.
We’re pleased to announce that Winter Words with Eowyn Ivey has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 24. While many tickets are already sold, we still have some left. To learn more, and to join us for this special fundraising event, please visit our event page.
Also, the latest episode of the 49 Writers Active Voice podcast with host Katie Bausler is up on Soundcloud and features author Andromeda Romano-Lax. Don’t miss it!
Tonight (Friday, December 14), we’re co-sponsoring a reading and celebration in Seward featuring Dan Walker and local writers including our own awesome board member Shauna Potocky. Details below!
Stay tuned for more announcements soon of 2019 classes and events. Also, keep an eye on your inbox for our end-of-year giving campaign, or get ahead of the curve and donate now. Thank you! It’s going to be a great year!
ROUNDUP
SOUTHCENTRAL
SEWARD | TONIGHT! December 14, 2019, 6 PM | Resurrect Art Coffee House Gallery | 320 3rd Ave, Seward, Alaska 99664 | Seward Writers Collective Book Release & Reading Featuring Dan Walker and local writers including 49 Writers board member Shauna Potocky! Don’t miss this special event showcasing local writers reading along side featured author Dan Walker as we celebrate the release of his new book, Letters from Happy Valley. There will be special surprises for attendees, good cheer and great company–so don’t miss this fun Friday night in our beautiful town!
ANCHORAGE | December 2018 | The UAA Campus bookstore has announced one more event for December 2018. All events are free and open to public.
- Saturday, December 15, 2018 from 1-3 PM: Alaskan authors Stan Jones (Big Empty), Lori Townsend (Ghost Ship), and George Harbeson Jr. (Shadow Times) discuss their new books, writing, and Alaskan literary genres. Stan Jones, mystery author of Tundra Kill, collaborated with Patricia Watts on the sixth Nathan Active series called The Big Empty. In the story, Nathan Active investigates a suspicious plane crash in Chukchi. Lori Townsend’s novel Ghost Ship welcomes back Anchorage-based reporter Zilla Gillette who is investigating an unusual disappearance of a group of nine teenagers from the Bering Strait community of Nome. Lori Townsend is the News Director for the Alaska Public Radio Network. Her first book, American Home Wrecker, introduced the tough and insightful Zilla Gillette. George Harbeson Jr’s short story collection Shadow Times, Alaska Stories of another Age was a finalist in the Brighthorse Books’ Prize for Short Fiction, 2017.
SOUTHEAST
WRANGELL | Flying Island Writers & Artists group meets every other Monday 6:30-8 PM. Contact Vivian Faith Prescott for more information at doctorviv@yahoo.com
SKAGWAY | May 29 – June 1, 2018 | North Words Writers Symposium with keynote speaker Susan Orlean, a previous The New Yorker staff writer and multi-award-winning author. The symposium will include multiple keynotes (including Orlean’s), workshops, and panels with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Symposium participants enjoy the luxury of small groups and one-on-one access to successful writers. See website for more details.
CONFERENCES, RESIDENCIES, AND RETREATS
HOMER | June 14-18, 2019 | Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference is back for 2019 and registration is open! This nationally-recognized conference will feature workshops, readings and panel presentations in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and the business of writing. The keynote presenter Diane Ackerman, an award-winning poet, essayist, and naturalist, will be joined by fifteen other writers, poets, and publishing industry professionals. For many more details and to register, see the conference’s website here.
OPPORTUNITIES and AWARDS for WRITERS
Hometown Reads is in Anchorage! A website dedicated to locating authors near you, Hometown Reads has a section for Anchorage. Sign up to have your book displayed and join the Facebook page to brainstorm ways to advertise and sell books locally. Check it out at https://hometownreads.com.
What’s missing? Submit your announcement for the next Roundup. Send an email with “Roundup” as the subject to 49blog@gmail.com
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