Elizabeth White-Olsen, Writespace

Oct. 1, 2015 Media Contact: Elizabeth White-Olsen, Writespace 713-516-5679 (cell) or [email protected]

WRITESPACE ANNOUNCES WRITEFEST A LITERARY JOURNAL FESTIVAL FOR NEW AND EMERGING WRITERS

WHAT: Writespace, Houston’s grassroots literary center, announces their first annual Writefest literary festival. Writefest is a literary journal festival for new and emerging writers, led by writers and literary journal editors. The Writefest website is live and tickets for the event went on-sale today, October 1, 2015.

Writefest Super Pass tickets are available for $350 and include a four-day workshop of the purchaser’s choice along with admission to the weekend festival. The Writefest Pass is available for $65 and includes admission to the weekend festival. Ticket prices are currently discounted at an Early Bird rate. Early Bird pricing ends on December 1, 2015 with ticket prices subject to increase.

The Writefest mission is to make the world of literary education and publishing accessible, affordable and transparent for writers of diverse backgrounds. Writefest seeks to energize the already vibrant and thriving literary community by making Houston a cultural beacon.

Funded by a grant from the City of Houston and the Houston Arts Alliance, the festival boasts a line-up of more than 20 top-tier literary journals, including McSweeney's, Brevity, Booth, Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, Gulf Coast and many more.

“There are writers’ conferences, conventions and festivals throughout the country, and all of them have something wonderful to offer,” says Writefest Director Layla Al-Bedawi. “We've noticed that many of them target writers who are working on novels, looking for an agent, or have already published. We wanted to do something different.”

Al-Bedawi explains how Writefest is different by saying, "We are trying to add something to the national literary landscape that is currently lacking. Writefest is designed to specifically target new and emerging writers. In addition, the festival will focus on short form, such as flash fiction, essay and poetry.”

Writefest will kick-off Monday, February 22, 2016, with a series of critique-based craft workshops that will go through Thursday, February 25, 2016. The four-day workshops are geared towards writers of all levels and will include Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Flash Fiction, Creative Nonfiction and Poetry.

An opening social and keynote editor’s panel will be hosted the evening of Friday, February 26, 2016. Writefest Super Pass and Writefest Pass holders are welcome to attend this event. The following day, Saturday, February 27, 2016, the Journal Fair at Silver Street Studios will be open to the public. Festival programming will also be available to ticket holders.

For the festival’s closing on Sunday, February 28, 2016, Writefest invites all ticket holders to enjoy a Texas Breakfast of coffee and Kolaches at the Writespace Suite. Participants can solidify newly made connections by asking editors and staffers any last minute questions.

WHEN: Monday, February 22, 2016 Through Thursday, February 25, 2016 Craft Workshops Friday, February 26, 2016 Keynote Editors Panel Saturday, February 27, 2016 Journal Fair Sunday, February 28, 2016 Closing Ceremony

WHO: Writespace and national literary journals Poetry Workshop Instructor: Anis Shivani- author of several critically acclaimed books of poetry, fiction, and criticism. Whatever Speaks on Behalf of Hashish is his latest book of poetry.

Fiction Workshop Instructor: Adrienne Perry- An excerpt of her story "Red Desert" was translated by Jean Guiloineau and appears in the French literary journal Siècle 21. An excerpt of her novel is forthcoming from Tidal Basin Review.

Speculative Fiction Workshop Instructor: Cassandra Rose Clarke- author of The Mad Scientist’s Daughter, which was a finalist for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award, and the YA novel, The Assassin’s Curse, which was nominated for YALSA’s 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults. Her short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons and Daily Science Fiction. Her latest novel is Our Lady of the Ice, forthcoming from Saga Press in 2015.

Flash Fiction Workshop Instructor: Rebecca Schwab- Editor for Leapfrog Press and Crossborder: A Journal of Fiction (Leapfrog Press and Guernica Editions). Her work has appeared in Brevity, Allegro Poetry Magazine, The Future Fire, Drafthorse. She freelances for The Observer (Dunkirk, NY) and Buffalo Spree Magazine.

Gulf Coast

McSweeney's

Brevity

Strange Horizons

Clarkesworld VISUALS:

WHERE: Writespace- Silver Street Studios 200A Edwards Street #212 Houston, TX 77007

ABOUT WRITESPACE: Writespace is Houston's grass-roots non-profit literary arts organization. Located north of downtown and south of the Heights, Writespace offers writing workshops, readings, open mics, write-ins, manuscript consultations, editing services, and classes and private lessons for young writers. Powered by some of Houston's top writers, Writespace supports writers of all genres, including literary fiction, poetry, mainstream fiction, young adult and picture book, sci-fi-, fantasy, and mystery.

RESOURCES: http://www.writefesthouston.com http://www.writespacehouston.org http://www.anisshivani.com http://www.leapfrogpress.com/Crossborder.html http://www.mcsweeneys.net http://brevitymag.com http://www.strangehorizons.com/index.shtml http://clarkesworldmagazine.com http://gulfcoastmag.org https://twitter.com/WritefestTX https://www.facebook.com/Writefest-1643503695934385/timeline/? ref=aymt_homepage_panel