Upcoming Events
Gemini Ink, San Antonio’s literary arts center, hosts its 3rd Annual Writers Conference this summer from July 20-22 atthe historic El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel. The conference, focused on “Writing the New Century,” brings together diverse, nationally recognized writers, along with a host of talented Texas writers for a weekend filled with panels, readings, a book fair, free evening events, and more.
Visiting Writers and Workshops
This conference is headlined by keynote speakers Dr. Carmen Tafolla, 2015 Texas State Poet Laureate, and Dr. Octavio Quintanilla, 2018-2020 San Antonio Poet Laureate. Workshops are led by six award-winning featured writers: nationally recognized Latina scholar and author Dr. Norma Cantú, 2018 recipient of the Ruth Lilly Prize in Poetry Martín Espada, Chicana lesbiana author and activist Anel Flores, groundbreaking editor and poet Veronica Golos, bestselling memoir and fiction writer Debra Monroe, and Pulitzer Prize winner Vijay Seshadri.Attendees can sign up for the workshop of their choice when registering for the conference. Space is limited as the workshops are capped at 15 participants. Complete information on workshops can be accessed at: geminiink.org/conference-
General conference registration for all three days is $125 for non-members and $105 for Gemini Ink Members. Add an additional $50 to take a workshop with one of the featured authors—places still remain! Panelists and students receive a generous discount. Day passes are available for only $35 ($25 if you are a Gemini Ink member, veteran, student, senior or educator) to access the conference and its stimulating variety of literary options. More info and registration is available at https://geminiink.org/writers-
Testimonials
“I love the variety of topics covered by the panels. It was often difficult to choose which one to attend. Also, the hotel makes it really convenient…Thank you for such a diverse and inclusive group!”
“The element of the conference I found most useful was the ease of talking with panelists and networking. Having the opportunity to meet amazing people was the most useful element to me.”
Gemini Ink is also pleased to offer a free youth workshop, The Spilled Ink Project, designed for young adult writers (13-17 years-old) of any experience level. Workshop attendees will create writing in the vein of spoken word poetry, and discuss how spoken word differentiates itself from page poetry. This workshop, led by two celebrated San Antonio spoken word artists, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson and Christopher ‘Rooster’ Martínez, provides youth a glimpse into the world of professional performance artistry and gives participants practical techniques they can apply to their own performance style. Call (210) 734-9673 to enroll or for full information.
In addition to the workshops led by featured writers, various panels addressing the theme “Writing the New Century” take place on Sat-Sun, July 21-22 from 9am–5:30pm. Conference participants can attend a wide array of conversations, all addressing the opportunities and challenges writers face in our unpredictable “new” century, from “A Mestizaje of Forms: Mixed Genre Writing as a Reflection of 21st Century Paradigms” to “Writing for the Digital Age: A Guide to Social Media Impact by the Experts.” More panel information can be found at https://geminiink.org/
Small Press Book Fair
On Saturday, July 21, the conference offers a Small Press Book Fair with a diverse group of regional presses and literary journals. The event takes place from 10am-5pm in El Tropicano Hotel’s lobby. Author signings with the conference’s featured authors and other Texas authors of note will be featured throughout the day. To find out more about the book fair, which is free and open to the public, visit https://geminiink.org/
Public Readings
Gemini Ink will also host free public readings on the evenings of Friday, July 20, at The Brick and on Saturday, July 21 at the Radius Center downtown. Each event will showcase visiting writers of national distinction and include author conversations on issues pivotal to contemporary American letters.
The conference concludes on Sunday, July 22, with closing remarks by San Antonio Poet Laureate Octavio Quintanilla followed by a final party at El Tropicano featuring spoken word artist Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson and her band The Foreign Arm.
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