The English Department at Clark Atlanta University is hosting its 50th Annual Writers Workshop and Conference on April 12 - 13th. The event is open to students and the community.
This year's theme is "All the Stories Are True: Fiction from the African Diaspora." The event will feature prominent authors from the Caribbean. Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Elizabeth Nunez (Trinidad), and Tiphanie Yanique (St. Thomas).
I ask Dr. Montgomery to share a few of the highlights from the conference over the last 50 years. She speaks to some of the authors that have participated, including Dr. Maya Angelou, Mari Evans, Tananarive Due, Pearl Cleage, and Ernest Gaines.
She speaks about the theme of this year's conference and the desire to showcase authors from throughout the diaspora. I asked Dr. Montgomery to share information about authors being featured this year. She speaks about the novels of Edwidge Danticat that offer a unique perspective on the American immigrant story. Bestseller Elizabeth Nunez retells Shakespeare's The Tempest in her book Prospero's Daughter. Tiphanie Yanique's award-winning first novel, In The Land of Love and Drowning, discusses property and colonization.
The conference also includes a Poetry Slam, which highlights the voices and oratorical skills of CAU Students.
This event is open to students and the public and will occur at the Thomas Cole Science and Research Building starting Wednesday, April 12th at 11AM. Reserve your place here.
For more information, you can reach out to Dr. Montgomery at gmontgomery@cau.edu