75 TOP LITERARY LEADERS MEET TO STRENGTHEN & REPAIR
FOR NEW YORK’S ANNUAL STATEWIDE LITERARY ARTS CONVENING
AT GIRLS WRITE NOW
September 15, 2024
An estimated 70% of the country’s literary arts organizations are located in New York State, with the largest concentration based in New York City. The leaders of these groups share the responsibility to represent literature for the nation, and they will be gathering to find inspiration at Girls Write Now on September 16-17 during this year’s LitNYS Facing Pages Statewide Literary Arts Convening. 75 literary presenters, independent publishers, and literary service organizations that New Yorkers know, love, and depend on will gather for this three-day event which features more than 25 leading luminaries to present in the field of writing and literary arts.
“LitNYS is Community: A network of literary arts organizations up and down New York State that impacts communities through the written and spoken word. We are an eco-system of independent publishers and presenting organizations as well as the nation’s largest literary service organizations. In our lives as writers and in our work in the writing arts, we are all about freedom of expression. The ability to say what one sees and incite dialogue without recrimination. We are grateful for the New York State Council on the Arts’ visionary leadership and its sustaining partnership.” —LitNYS Founding Director Debora Ott
The Convening theme Rupture, Readiness & Repair: Strategies for Strengthening was selected for its timeliness, as were the panel themes which include:
- New, Nontraditional & Adjacent Approaches, Monday 9/16, 10 – 12:30 PM
Moderator: Lisa Willis, Cave Canem Foundation
Panelists: Ruth Dickey, Executive Director, National Book Foundation; Mary Gannon, Executive Director, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses ; and Ricardo Maldonado, President and Executive Director, Academy of American Poets
- Free Expression, Monday 9/16, 2 – 4:30 PM
Moderator: Ira Silverberg
Panelists: Will Creeley, Legal Director, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE); Jonathan Friedman, Managing Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs, PEN America; Brenda M. Greene,Founding Director, Center for Black Literature; David Horowitz,Executive Director, Media Coalition; and Nick Higgins, Chief Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library.
- Collaboration, Inspiration & Opportunities, Tuesday 9/17, 9:45 – 11 AM
Moderator: Bruce Morrow
Panelists: Asari Beale, Board member of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable; Phil Memmer, Writers Voice, District Executive Director for Arts and Education, YMCA of Central New York; Alison Meyers, Executive Director of Writers & Books; Jafreen Uddin, Executive Director of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop.
- Concluding Keynote from poet and professor Kimiko Hahn
Hosted this year by Girls Write Now, a writing, mentoring, and community nonprofit that breaks down barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor and train the next generation of writers and leaders, this year’s LitNYS Convening will bring together nonprofit literary arts organizations from all across the state to foster community, share resources to advance their work, and strengthen the literary arts landscape in New York.
“New York has long been an engine of the cultural, creative, and literary output across the nation, and we’re honored to lend our space for the convening, celebration, and discussion with the organizations that keep its literary community alive,” said Maya Nussbaum, Founder & Executive Director of Girls Write Now. “With current assaults on free expression and barriers to financial resources, this gathering couldn’t come at a more crucial time. Keeping this literary ecosystem running is a labor of love, and no one knows this better than the leaders of LitNYS.”
Many from the New York City area will participate, including Maya Nussbaum (Girls Write Now Founder & Executive Director), Jafreen Uddin (Asian American Writers Workshop Executive Director), Stephen Motika (Nightboat Books Publisher), and Lisa Willis (Cave Canem Foundation Executive Director). Attendees will have the opportunity to build relationships and collaborative opportunities between literary presenters and small press publishers throughout NY State, sparking connections, and conversations extending well beyond the three day gathering.
The full program & list of presenters can be found here. Most important to the general public is increased visibility for these incredible program assets which exist right here in our own communities.
LitNYS is a coalition of nonprofit literary arts presenters, publishers and service organizations. Founded in 2001 by Debora Ott and administered by Just Buffalo Literary Center, it serves as a NY State hub of resources to advance and strengthen the literary arts. Its key programs include Advancement Regrants, Mentoring, and annual Facing Pages Statewide Literary Arts Convening. LitNYS is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, with additional support for this year’s gathering provided by Girls Write Now, The Writers Room and Wendy’s Subway.
The mission of Just Buffalo Literary Center is to create and strengthen communities through the literary arts. For nearly 50 years, the organization has brought the world’s greatest writers to Buffalo, hosted poetry events and readings, and supported the development of young writers. Just Buffalo Literary Center serves as project administrator for LitNYS.
Girls Write Now is a nationally award-winning nonprofit, media brand, and multi-generational community. For nearly three decades, we have broken down the barriers of gender, age, race, and poverty to mentor, teach, and connect writers and leaders across disciplines and around the nation. With a focus on those historically disempowered due to their gender and gender identity, we harness the power of stories to shape culture, impact industries, bridge worlds, and create change. The organization is a recipient of three White House distinctions, a lifelong grantee of the New York State Council on the Arts, and a founding partner of STARS Citywide Girls Initiative.