Aspen, CO (May 25, 2018) – Passes are on sale now for the public events at the Aspen Summer Words Writing Conference and Literary Festival, to be held June 17-22 in Aspen. The conference, founded in 1976, includes juried and non-juried writing workshops, networking with publishing agents and editors and a readers retreat. Author panels in the afternoons and evenings provide an opportunity for locals and visitors to participate in the literary festivities.

The first evening panel, on June 18 at The Gant Conference Center, will focus on Real Life Stories and How to Tell Them. Authors Margot Lee Shetterly (“Hidden Figures”), Heather Harpham(“Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After”), Beth Nguyen (“Stealing Buddha’s Dinner”) and Aran Shetterly (“The Americano: Fighting with Castro for Cuba’s Freedom”), will talk about why personal stories--whether memoir or narrative nonfiction--matter and who has the right to tell them. They’ll also discuss the art of writing about your own life, or someone else’s, in a compelling way.

The second evening panel, The Writer’s Life: The Best of Times, the Worst of Times, will take place at Belly Up on June 20. Panelists J. Courtney Sullivan, Margot Lee Shetterly and Peter Ho Davies will explore what it means to be a writer in this cultural and political moment, and how to navigate the noise and create art in chaotic times. Sullivan is a New York Times best-selling author whose latest novel, “Saints for All Occasions,” was one of The Washington Post’s top 10 books of 2017. Davies teaches in the MFA program at the University of Michigan and is the author, most recently, of “The Fortunes,” a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Shetterly is the executive producer of the blockbuster movie “Hidden Figures,” based on her best-selling nonfiction book.

Afternoon panels at The Gant include: How to Start a Writing Project and Make it to the Finish Line, What Every Writer Needs to Know about Working with Agents + Editors and the annual classic, The Takeaway. Complete event descriptions and panelist bios, along with event passes, are available at aspenwords.org. Individual tickets are available for purchase at the door for $25.

For participants looking for a deeper dive into the Summer Words experience, space is available in the three-day readers retreat focused on great stories from Vanity Fair magazine and moderated by VF contributing editor Bruce Handy, as well as a five-day generative writing workshop taught by novelist and writing professor Helen Schulman. Also on sale: tickets and tables to the annual Aspen Words Summer Benefit on June 19 at the Hotel Jerome. This year’s benefit features author Mohsin Hamid, winner of the inaugural $35,000 Aspen Words Literary Prize.

SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC EVENTS 
MONDAY, JUNE 18
How to Start a Writing Project and Make It to the Finish Line
The Gant I 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. 
Panelists: Tina Chang, Bruce Handy, Anthony Marra, Helen Schulman,
Just like in stories, beginnings and endings are important in your writing process. Helen Schulman, Anthony Marra, Tina Chang and Bruce Handy share advice about how to launch a new project, navigate the revision stage and make it to the finish line.

Real Life Stories and How to Tell Them
The Gant I 5:15 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Panelists: Heather Harpham, Beth Nguyen, Aran Shetterly, Margot Lee Shetterly,
Why do personal stories--whether memoir or narrative nonfiction--matter and who has the right to tell them? Margot Lee Shetterly, Heather Harpham, Beth Nguyen and Aran Shetterly discuss the art of writing about your own life, or someone else’s, in a compelling way.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
What Every Writer Should Know about Working with Agents + Editors
The Gant, 4 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Panelists: Brettne Bloom, Ben Loehnen, Barbara Jones, Ayesha Pande, J. Courtney Sullivan,
What does it take to have a successful working relationship with an agent and editor? Writer- agent pair J. Courtney Sullivan and Brettne Bloom will be joined by editors Ben Loehnen and Barbara Jones and agent Ayesha Pande to discuss the dynamics of effective literary collaborations.

The Writer’s Life: The Best of Times, the Worst of Times
The Belly Up I 6:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
Panelists: Peter Ho Davies, Margot Lee Shetterly,  J. Courtney Sullivan
The world can feel like a complicated place these days. What does it mean to be a writer in this cultural and political moment? Margot Lee Shetterly, J. Courtney Sullivan and Peter Ho Davies discuss how to navigate the noise and create art in chaotic times.
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THURSDAY, JUNE 21
The Takeaway
The Gant I 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
Panelists: Tina Chang, Peter Ho Davies, Heather Harpham, Anthony Marra, Helen Schulman
After a creative, inspiring week in Aspen, how do you keep the momentum going when you return to your writing desk? Summer Words faculty share their advice and discuss what they wish they’d known before publishing their first books, among other topics.
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READERS RETREAT: Literary Journalism with a Dash of Pizzazz—Great Stories from
Vanity Fair
June 18-20 I 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Gant, 610 S W. End St.
$425, includes lunch and all public events
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BEGINNING WRITING WORKSHOP WITH HELEN SCHULMAN
June 17-22 I 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Gant, 610 S W. End St.
$1,525, includes lunch and all public events

For more information, visit aspenwords.org.

Questions or requests for author interviews can be directed to: 
Elizabeth Nix, Program Coordinator
Aspen Words | The Aspen Institute
[email protected]
Phone: 970-925-3122 ext. 4

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Aspen Words was founded in 1976 as a literary center based in Aspen, CO. A program of the Aspen Institute, its mission is to encourage writers, inspire readers, and connect people through the power of stories. For more information, visit www.aspenwords.org/.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, D.C; Aspen, CO; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.