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Leading US writers Help Midlands Writers in Major US Writing Partnership


The University of Warwick's "Warwick Writing Programme"  is now one of the largest and most comprehensive in Europe and is launching a new international partnership with one of the top creative writing schools in the United States -  the Virginia Piper Centre for Creative Writing at Arizona State University -  with a  special three day event that will bring four leading US writers to the University of Warwick for  a three-day American South West Writers' Festival at Warwick Arts Centre on 23rd to 25th November. This unique festival brings four of America's most acclaimed writers to read from their work and give workshops for the general public. Download full details at

http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/?page=wac_calendar.html&promo_id=67


After receiving a $10 million endowment the VirginiaPiperCenter looked around the world for an international partner - and chose Warwick. This partnership will bring  many unique benefits for writers and writing in the Midlands - including a series of one on one sessions for aspiring Midland's  writers with US authors  starting with the four writers coming over for the Festival.
Talking about this partnership, the Director of the Warwick Writing Programme, the poet David Morley says: 'Major American Universities can teach us a lot about creative writing and give our teaching and research here in Warwick an ever sharper edge and lead in Europe. The benefits to our students will be enormous: access to American star writers and the opportunity to study  with authors in Arizona. These people are the real world experts, so this is great news for us.'


ASU faculty members will participate in Warwick's summer writing program at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented high Youth. ASU and Warwick will explore "book art" collaborations between faculty and students. Warwick students will be encouraged to submit to Piper Center's Hayden's Ferry Review literary journal and will participate in online writers Chat rooms with students at Arizona.

The four writers coming to the festival include: Ron Carlson - a renowned novelist and short-story writer whose fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire and Harper's, Jay Boyer is  accomplished writer who also teaches courses in American film and literature, Jewell Parker Rhodes - who has received a National Endowment Award for the Arts in fiction among her many honours - she also directs the Virginia Piper Centre for Creative Writing, and Melissa Pritchard (who is also is the first Visiting Fellow to Warwick to arise from this partnership) who has won many awards for her novels and short story collections. Their readings take place at Warwick Arts at Centre at 5.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

Midlands writers wanting to try and get one of the one to one slots with the US authors should contact David Morley at the University of Warwick on D.J.Morley@warwick.ac.uk or 024 76 523346.

Press Opportunity: All four authors will be in a drinks reception in the National Grid room the University's Warwick Arts centre at 6pm on Wednesday 24th of November 2004 . Press are welcome to this but do please let Keri Wills or David Morley know if you are coming beforehand.. Press can get complimentary tickets for the readings by calling Keri Wills (024 765 23804).

Tickets for members of the public can be purcahsed from Warwick Arts Centre Box Office 02476 524524.

 

For Further Infromation please contact:       

David Morley  University of Warwick on 024 7652 3346

 

Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager

University of Warwick  02476 523708 p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

PR150 PJD  18th November 2004