Events 101: What Colorado literary events are coming in October?
Southern Colorado Literature Examiner
- Narrate Conferences, Inc. will present the Sirens 2009 Conference, celebrating women writers with amazing talent and a strong voice, and strong female characters in fantasy literature. It will be held October 1st – 4th at the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, in Vail. Guests of Honor will be authors Tamora Pierce (Circle books and the Legend of Beka Cooper series), Sherwood Smith (fantasy and science fiction author with a resume a mile long), and Kristin Cashore (Graceling and soon to be released, Fire) will present keynotes in addition to topics proposed by attendees in advance. Activities include the presentation of papers and lectures, interactive discussions, workshops, and panels on topics ranging from The Crone Witch in Modern Fantasy to Love Lives of Women Warriors. Registration lasts until September 1st, with the advance price of $175.00 or tickets may be purchased at the door for $200.00. The Price includes two lunches and a breakfast, as well as a dessert reception, access to all conference events, including the keynote presentations and a T-shirt available only to attendees. The Sirens Shuttle and Sirens Supper before the conference are available for an extra charge.
- Rocky Mountain Storytelling Festival will consist of daytime workshops and evening performances that highlight the art of storytelling. (Graduate and undergraduate credits are available for workshop attendance through the School of Education at the University of Colorado Springs). Workshops require registration, but the evening performances are free and open to the public. Events to be included are story swaps, educational concerts, early literacy story time, author presentations and book signings, and a hike to the top of Castle Rock. Featured story tellers, Heather Forest (award winning recording artist and children’s author), John Stansfield (wilderness advocate, historian and award winning author), and Paul Taylor (Australian story teller, musician, and world traveler) will entertain and delight through the art of storytelling. Workshop titles include: Children’s Story Telling; Develop Your Story Characters with Voice and Movement; Exploring Visual Literacy and Creating a Personal Narrative; and Literacy and Listening: The Importance of Folktales in the Storyteller’s Repertoire. The Festival will take place on Friday and Saturday, October 2nd & 3rd, with workshops held at Phillip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock and evening performances taking place at the Douglass County Fairgrounds.
- The second annual Author Extravaganza will feature an evening with New York Times best selling author, David Baldacci at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 8th at The Wildlife Experience Center in Parker. Tickets will go on sale in September.
- The Author Extravaganza, (formerly known as the Castle Rock Writers’ Conference), will also include a Writer’s Conference on Saturday, October 10th, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Castle View High School in Castle Rock. Registration begins August 26th, for a price of $65.00, ($75.00 after September 20th), with an added $20.00 fee for agent pitch session. This conference will feature workshops, networking and other activities for writers. Workshop topics include: the craft of writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry; Publishing; and promotion. Keynote speakers will be Fort Collins author, Todd Mitchell and Colorado Book Award winner, Shari Caudron.
- Women’s Adventure 2009 Creative Conference will be held at the Boulder Marriott on October 9th-11th for writers and photographers. This conference offers opportunity to meet many of the top writers, editors, photographers and photo editors in the country right here in Colorado. One–on-one sessions with members of the award winning faculty allows for chances to have work critiqued or pitch ideas to professionals, (guaranteed at least one meeting). Faculty includes editor-in-chief, Michelle Theal; art director, Kristan Christensen; associate editor, Kristy Holland; editors, Mira Pirizzo, Linda Doyle, Kristen Bjornson; freelance writers, Jeanne Weiss and Lisa Marshall; and photographers, Dana Romanoff, Tess Thacker, Bruce Janek and Geoff Van Dyke; and several others. Speakers include award winning essayist, Tracy Ross (senior editor) and FEMA photographer, Andrea Booher.
- Women’s Adventure hosts writing and photo contests, with publication of the winning entry in Women’s Adventure magazine, and even losing entries will receive a critique. The deadline for entry is September 20th for all entries.
- The Through the Writing Glass Author Carnival will be held at the Bas Bleu Theater in Fort Collins on October 24th. Featured events will include readings and book signings by local authors Victoria Hanley (newly released, Violet Wings), Laura Resua (soon to be released, The Indigo Notebook) Theresa R.Funk (No-No Boys, 2008) and Todd Mitchell (soon to be released, The Secret of Lying), writing activities and games.
- MileHiCon is the largest science-fiction literary convention in the Rocky Mountain Region. Authors and speakers will be packing in to the Hyatt Regency – Tech Center on October 23rd – 25th, 2009 to attend the 41st annual MileHiCon convention. Topics will include horror, science, music, science-fiction, fantasy, movies, publishing, and an art show. That’s just for starters. The author guests of honor will be Barbara Hambly, author of the newly released, Homeland, as well as The Windrose Chronicles; The Darwrath Trilogy; Benjamin January series; and James Asher/Vampire Series among others,and Nancy Kress, award winning author of Beggers in Spain; Probability Space; Nano Comes to Clifford Falls and Other Stories; and her latest novel, Steal Across the Sky. Other honored guests to include artist, John Picacio; author Brandon Sanderson (as Toastmaster); and Celtic American musician and podcaster, Marc Gunn. The hotel rooms are reasonably priced, the Con-Suite is still available for booking and they are seeking volunteers, so make your reservations for this amazing literary convention that only comes to Colorado once a year.
Southern Colorado Literature Examiner
Kaye Lynne Booth is a native Coloradoan. She has published poetry, does a weblog on writing and runs an online writer's workshop forum. She is...
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