Welcome to the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference V

January 27-28, 2012 

The fifth edition of the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference at Hollins University, scheduled January 27-28, features what founding director Dan Smith calls “probably our strongest and most varied lineup.”

The conference will feature a number of successful authors, journalists, designers, marketers and academics, as well as an accountant and a lawyer to help students with the practical end of their profession. This year, for the first time, science fiction will be featured with two classes taught by Mike Allen and Rod Belcher. Allen and Belcher have found considerable success in the genre and each has a day job to supplement the passion. Allen is a newspaper reporter and Belcher owns Cosmic Castle, a gaming store.

For the second straight year, the conference will have talks by literary agents, this year a married couple from New York, Nat Sobel and Judith Weber.

Among those teaching who have new books are Belcher, Mollie Cox Bryan (a cookbook writer whose first mystery novel is due out in February), Doug Cumming, Cathryn Hankla, Gina Holmes, Roland Lazenby, Jim Minnick and Matthew Vollmer. Dan Smith and Darrell Laurent have new novels in the final phases of completion.

The cost, which includes the reception on Friday and lunch on Saturday, is $60.00.  Please note there are no refunds after January 16, 2012.

Friday, January 27:  Reception 6:15 pm, Keynote address 7:00 pm

Saturday, January 28:  Workshops and Panel Discussions 9:00 am - 5:30 pm

For more details, contact Dan Smith, conference organizer, at editrdan@msn.com or 540-556-8510.