R210. Writing Well Yet Writing to Sell: The Art of The Literary Page-Turner

Room 211 C&D, Level 2
Thursday, April 9, 2015
1:30 pm to 2:45 pm

 

Writers of literary fiction spend years earning the praise and acceptance of journals and small presses, yet are rejected by advance-paying NYC houses because their work doesn't compel readers to buy. Five accomplished authors at various stages of their careers share advice, insights, and lessons they've learned about the divide between literary and commercial fiction, and how they've straddled it with books that not only earn praise, but also wider audiences—and the income to keep on writing.


Participants

Moderator:

Tim Johnston is the author of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize-winning collection of stories Irish Girl, the novel Never So Green, and the forthcoming novel Descent. Winner of an O. Henry Prize, he teaches in the MFA program at the University of Memphis.

Carla Buckley is the author of the literary suspense novels The Deepest Secret, Invisible, and The Things That Keep Us Here, which was nominated for a Thriller Award for Best First Novel and the Ohioana Book Award for fiction. She currently serves on ITW’s Board of Directors as vice president of awards.

Rebecca Johns is the author of the award-winning novel Icebergs and The Countess. Her work has appeared in Printer's Row, the Mississippi Review, Narrative, and Ploughshares. She teaches at DePaul University in Chicago.

Mark Wisniewski is the author of the acclaimed novels Confessions of a Polish Used Car Salesman and Show Up, Look Good, and the forthcoming novel Watch Me Go. A Pushcart Prize winner, he was a Regents Fellow in the University of California, Davis creative writing program.

Laura McHugh is the author of The Weight of Blood, which was selected as an Indie Next pick and #1 LibraryReads pick.

#AWP24

February 7–10, 2024
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Convention Center