Several noted authors will give public readings during the annual West Virginia WritersWorkshop July 24-27 on the West Virginia University campus.

Forty-seven writers have been accepted to attend the four-day workshop to receive feedback and advice on their poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Featured authors will share their knowledge and discuss helpful ways to improve writing and revision techniques. The WVU Department of English and Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are sponsoring the workshop.

This is our seventh workshop, and its extremely gratifying to be able to attract so many writers from around the country to Morgantown,said James Harms, workshop director and WVU faculty member.We have a teriffic faculty this year, as always, all of them award-winning writers, and I know it’s going to be a very special four days of literary activity.

The schedule for the free, public readings is as follows:


  • p. Thursday, July 24Ethel Morgan Smith, author of From Whence Cometh My Help, 1:45 p.m., Mountainlair Gold Ballroom; Shara McCallum, author of two books of poems, Song of Thieves and The Water Between Us, and Peter Makuck, author of fiction and poetry, including Costly Habits, 8 p.m., Mountainlair Gold Ballroom

  • p. Friday, July 25Mark Brazaitis, author of two books of fiction, including Steal My Heart, and James Harms, author of four books of poetry, including Freeways and Aqueducts, 1:30 p.m., Mountainlair Gold Ballroom; Mary Ann Samyn, author of two books of poetry, including Inside the Yellow Dress, and Gerry LaFemina, author of Graffiti Heart, 8 p.m., Mountainlair Gold Ballroom

  • p. Saturday, July 26Joan Connor, author of three collections of short fiction, including History Lessons, and Tony Hoagland, author of three poetry collections, including Donkey Gospel, 8 p.m., Hatfields, Mountainlair

All participants will meet individually with workshop faculty for intensive one-on-one conferences.

These individual conferences are intended to focus and refine the work being done around seminar table width=100%s and in classrooms,Harms said.The workshops themselves have limited enrollments to guarantee personal attention.

Literary readings, lectures on craft, and panel discussions on publishing and editing are included in the workshops activities and events. Although writers have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the writing process, activities have been scheduled so as to allow all participants free time to explore Morgantown and its surroundings and to meet and confer with fellow writers.

Another aspect of the West Virginia WritersWorkshop is the high school program. Thirteen West Virginia high school students have been chosen to attend the workshop on a full scholarship. These students, who were nominated by their high school English teachers and selected from a pool of applicants, will work with LaFemina.

For more information, contact Harms at 293-3107 ext. 451.