Barbara Kingsolver photo credit Adrian Lourie
Barbara Kingsolver (photo by Adrian Lourie)
Next weekend will mark the inaugural Books-in-Progress Conference hosted by the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, with a series of breakout sessions and other events geared to provide support and education to writers of various genres and stages who are hoping to publish book-length manuscripts.
Among the weekend’s events will include a keynote talk and book signing by esteemed author Barbara Kingsolver on Friday, June 8 at the Lexington Convention Center’s Bluegrass Ballroom; admission is included with conference registration and also available to the general public. Kingsolver will also present a morning breakout session at the Carnegie Center on Saturday, June 9, and will present at a luncheon at Elmendorf Farm that afternoon, a special event and fundraiser for the Carnegie Center that is ticketed separately from the conference and available to the general public. The luncheon will focus on Kingsolver’s book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” and will feature a Kentucky Proud menu catered by Dupree Catering.
“It was really important for us to stay as local as possible (with the menu),” Jessica Mohler, the Marketing Director for the Carnegie Center, said about the luncheon, which will be held at the private farm of published writer Nana Lampton, a longtime friend and supporter of the Carnegie Center.
Mohler added that the Carnegie Center isn’t aware of any other conference in the country focusing specifically on the topic books in progress. The idea for the conference rose from a discussion about the Carnegie Center’s efforts to raise Kentucky’s profile as the Literary Arts Capital of Mid-America.
“We basically made a list,” Mohler said. “What do we have that’s testament to being a literary arts capital and what are we missing? The Kentucky Women’s Writer’s Conference is incredible – we partner with them every year and it’s hosted here – but we wanted to expand (our conference options) to men, and also try to tap into something new that nobody in the country was doing.”
The conference focuses on topics that include craft and structure, pitching the concept to agents, editing, revising and troubleshooting.
Registration for the conference and the coinciding events featuring Kingsolver is limited and spots are filling quickly. To register for the conference, visit http://carnegiecenterlex.org/events/books-in-progress-conference/ or call (859) 254-4175. General admission tickets for Kingsolver’s Friday evening lecture at the Bluegrass Ballroom are available in advance or at the door ($20/25); advanced registration is required for the Saturday afternoon luncheon featuring Kingsolver, and can be made by calling (859) 254-4175.