Posted by Tom Baker
In non-pandemic years, the Japan Writers Conference is held on an autumn weekend at a university somewhere in Japan. This year it is being held online (Oct. 15-17), which means you can participate no matter where in the world you are.
At least nine JETs (including classic-edition MEFs) will be among the published writers giving presentations on how to write well – and how to sell your work. These include memoirist Joe Palermo, poet Michael Frazier, poet and picture book author Holly Thompson, textbook author Todd Jay Leonard, and travel consultant Joy Jarman-Walsh. More JET alums are mentioned in the (slightly JET-edited) official press release below:
Published writers to share how they did it
TOKYO (Sept. 14, 2021) – The Japan Writers Conference has announced a lineup of more than 30 presentations by published writers in a variety of fields, from food writing to screenwriting and from to novels to haiku, for its 15th annual event on Oct. 15-17.
Due to the pandemic, this year’s conference will be held online, with Zoom details to be made available at http://japanwritersconference.org/email-updates/. As always, it will be a free, interactive event open to all who are interested in the art, craft and business of writing.
Poetry, memoir, fiction and publishing will be major themes. Tokyo Poetry Journal associate editor Zoria Petkoska will discuss how technology enables “cyber poetry,” while noted haikuist Michael Dylan Welch will look into the past to examine the use of place names. Karen Hill Anton and Lianne Wakabayashi will discuss crafting their Japan-related memoirs. Novelist and JET Joanne Anderton will explore mixing autobiography into speculative fiction, while novelists Charles Kowalski (another JET) and Michael Pronko will speak about creating characters. Multiple writers will share tips on both traditional publishing and self-publishing.
Astrophysicist and author Elizabeth Tasker will participate in a panel discussion on “Social Media for Writers,” while young adult novelist Sara Fujimura will join a panel on “Writing Identity.” Prominent multi-genre author – and JET – Suzanne Kamata will be part of both panels.
For more variety, journalist Melinda Joe will serve up the basics of food writing, photographer Edward Levinson will discuss finding inspiration in nature, filmmaker Yuri Kageyama will premiere a work on the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and “Jeopardy!” quiz show champion Tom Baker, still another JET, will describe how to write trivia questions. And that’s far from all.
Details on this year’s event can be found at http://www.japanwritersconference.org
Inquiries should be directed to japanwritersconference@gmail.com.
one comment so far...
Hi Tom,
Though I was an MEF (Pre-JET), I am also presenting at the Japan Writers Conference. My topic is “Self-Publishing a Memoir at Minimal Cost”. So we can make it 9! http://japanwritersconference.org/schedule/