The Young Vermont Writers’ Conference (YVWC), a spring writing workshop specifically for Vermont high school students, takes place this May 30-June 1 on the hillside campus of Burlington’s Champlain College. For dedicated young Vermont writers, it is a chance to meet others who share their passion for telling the stories of their lives and to study the craft with some of Vermont’s most celebrated authors and teachers.

Participate in over ten hours of intensive workshops in fiction, poetry, song writing, or creative nonfiction; exchange and critique manuscripts; hear readings from faculty members; and share work with the YVWC community. After the conference, the YVWC anthology of student writing, Hardscrabble, will be available for purchase on-line. On Friday, listen to our keynote speaker, poet, novelist, and editor, Sydney Lea. Founding editor of The New England Review, Syd has published the novel A Place in Mind; two nonfiction books, Hunting the Whole Way Home and A Little Wildness; and eight poetry collections of poems, most recently Ghost Pain(2005). Pursuit of a Wound (2000) was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. And there’s more: Friday night, read poems and fiction to jazz with The Vermont Poetry-Jazz Ensemble (PoJazz).On Saturday, slam with the Breathing Poetry Project, and then later, kick up your heels at The Spectacular YVWC Contra Dance.  High school teachers can also participate in their own workshop and act as dormitory chaperones

For more information:

Karen Hendy, Event Coordinator
Young Vermont Writers’ Conference
Champlain College
PO Box 670
Burlington, Vermont 05402-0670
(802) 865-6451 phone
(802) 860-2713 fax
hendy@champlain.edu

Please check this site periodically for updates.

Chaperones

Teachers from participating high schools are invited to the conference to participate in workshops and to serve as dormitory chaperones. Chaperones will receive $100 for their efforts.