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UNT Mayborn Conference offers book deal, increased cash prizes
What: The 4th Annual University of North Texas Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest will offer seven cash prizes totaling $15,000 – including, for the first time, a $3,000 cash prize to the writer of the best manuscript. The top manuscript author will also have the option to accept a publishing contract with UNT Press. The best articles and essays will be reviewed for publication in the 2009 edition of Ten Spurs, the conference's literary journal jointly published by Hearst Newspapers and the UNT Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism. When: Conference workshops for writers of selected entries will begin at 9 a.m. July 18 (Friday). The conference continues with lectures, readings, panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions through July 20 (Sunday). Deadline for entries is June 13 (Friday). Where: Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine. Contact: Visit www.TheMayborn.unt.edu for contest details or call (940) 565-4564. For media interviews, contact Dr. Mitch Land, director of the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism, at (940) 565-4564 or mitchland@unt.edu or George Getschow, conference writer-in-residence, at (940) 369-8631 or getschow@unt.edu . DENTON (UNT), Texas -- A year ago, Susannah Charleson had an idea. Now, she has a book deal. Charleson credits the University of North Texas Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest with helping her turn a promising essay about a search-and-rescue dog into a published work of literary nonfiction. Charleson, a radio professional, flight instructor and community college professor from Dallas, was advised at a pre-conference workshop to turn the essay into a manuscript. She then parlayed a second-place finish in the manuscript division of the 2007 Mayborn Conference into a lucrative contract with Houghton Mifflin. The story, "Scent of the Missing," will be published in 2009. "The Mayborn Conference seems to address author integrity, literary merit and commercial viability with genuine insight," Charleson said. "At some conferences you get one or the other, but certainly not all three – with the practicalities of submission-for-publication rarely addressed in tandem with the concerns of writing ethically and well. Not so at the Mayborn, which seems to manage that necessary balance. I strongly recommend this conference." She is one of a growing number of previously unknown writers, including past manuscript winner Craig Hanley and past essay winner Julianne McCullagh, who have earned literary distinction and attracted jobs in the field of writing and publishing through the conference. At UNT's 4th Annual Mayborn Conference, more writers could soon realize their dreams. The conference is offering a total of $15,000 in cash prizes and publishing opportunities to the writers of manuscripts, articles and essays. "This conference presents an enormous opportunity for unknown writers to get recognized and published by major publishing houses," said George Getschow, the conference's writer-in-residence. "There are established writers who have tried unsuccessfully for years to be published. This is a rare opportunity." The Mayborn Conference has two categories for articles and essays. Prizes in the category of personal essays and mini-memoirs are $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place. The category of reporting and research-based narratives that focus on people, places and events in the outside world, added in 2007, also includes prizes of $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place. The best articles, narratives and personal essays will be included in the 2009 edition of Ten Spurs, the conference's literary journal jointly published by Hearst Newspapers and the UNT Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism. Essays and articles can be no longer than 20 pages. The writer of the best manuscript will have the option of being published by the UNT Press. For the first time, the first place winner in the manuscript division will also receive a $3,000 cash prize, sponsored by Village Voice Media. Writers should submit a first chapter of no more than 25 pages and narrative synopses of each chapter. "No other conference offers such sizable cash awards and publishing opportunities," Getschow said. The deadline for submitting entries is June 13 (Friday). Writers of the top 20 manuscripts and the top 50 articles and essays will be selected to participate in writing workshops with some of the nation's top writers on July 18 (Friday). After the writing workshops end that afternoon, the conference continues with lectures, readings, roundtable discussions and dialogues with literary agents through July 20 (Sunday) at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center at 1800 Texas Highway 26 East in Grapevine, Texas (five minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport). Keynote speakers are Pulitzer Prize-winning Native American writer N. Scott Momaday, National Book Award winner Bob Shacochis and "River of Doubt" author Candice Millard. Other speakers include writer Wright Thompson of ESPN.com, literary journalist Ali Wolfe (the daughter of Tom Wolfe) of Conde Nast Portfolio magazine, writer Nick Heil of Outside magazine, roving narrative reporter John Burnett of NPR and book reviewer Cathleen Medwick of O, The Oprah Magazine. "I'm extremely excited about this year's speakers," Getschow said. "They demonstrate how deep and broad and wide the range of literary nonfiction storytelling is." The Writer's Garret, a nonprofit literary center based in Dallas, is partnering with the Mayborn Conference to offer these pre-conference workshops for writers seeking help with their submissions before the conference: - A one-day intensive workshop on book-length memoir and creative nonfiction essay writing with Susannah Charleson, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 5 (Saturday). The cost is $100 for Writer's Garret members and past and current Mayborn registrants and $135 for the general public.
- A six-week course on developing long-form pieces (either reporting or personal essay/memoir) with writing coach Bill Marvel of The Dallas Morning News, 7-9 p.m. April 15 (Tuesday) to May 20 (Sunday) at the Writer's Garret. The cost is $140 for Writer's Garret members and past and current Mayborn registrants and $170 for others.
- A three-day intensive writing workshop to develop a submission (either reporting or personal essay/memoir) with Writer's Garret camp director Julianne McCullagh and sports writer Talmage Boston, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., May 3 (Saturday), May 17 (Saturday) and May 31 (Saturday) at the Writer's Garret. The cost is $135 for Writer's Garret members and past and current Mayborn registrants and $170 for others.
Getschow, McCullagh and Charleson are inviting writers interested in learning more about the pre-conference workshops and the Mayborn writing competition to a Wine & Cheese Writers' Forum on April 4 (Friday) at the Writer's Garret, located upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Drive, in Dallas. Mayborn Conference registration is $275 for the general public before March 15 and $295 after that date. Students may register for $200 before April 15 and $225 after that date. Educators may attend for $250 if they register before April 15 and $270 afterward. Conference seating is limited. Conference participants submitting an article or essay in the competition will be charged an additional $30 fee. Those submitting a manuscript will be charged an additional $60. To register, visit www.TheMayborn.unt.edu. For more information, call (940) 565-4564.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Mark Wright 940-565-3510
Email: mwright@unt.edu
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