Octavia Butler Symposium

“The Work and Life of Octavia Butler” will be the theme of The National Black Writers Conference Bi-Annual Symposium presented by The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York on March 28. Participants will include L.A. Banks, Steven Barnes, Tananarive Due, and Nnedi Okorafor. There is a call for papers online.

The complete press release appears after the jump.

[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]

The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York presents The NATIONAL BLACK WRITERS Conference BI-ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM:

THE WORK AND LIFE OF OCTAVIA E. BUTLER

WHEN: Saturday, March 28, 2009, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
WHERE: Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College, CUNY
1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11225
718-270-6983
[email protected]

[email protected]

The program features readings & panels on the world-reknowned author and her contribution to literary writing. Participating writers include L.A. Banks, Steven Barnes, Tananarive Due, and Nnedi Okorafor.

The cost for this event is $10 general admission; $5, Senior, Student, Faculty. This event is opened to all. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for more information.

http://www.mec.cuny.edu/blacklitcenter

Octavia E. Butler is considered a master storyteller in the genre of speculative fiction.  Her work explores themes such as race, gender, power, sexism, and spirituality.  This symposium is dedicated to exploring her work in particular and the impact of speculative fiction in the literature of Black writers.

About the National Black Writers Conference (NBWC):  The NBWC, inspired by the late John Oliver Killens in 1986, brings together writers, critics, book-sellers, book reviewers, educators, students, and the general public in order to establish a dialogue on emerging themes, trends and issues in black literature. Co-sponsored by Up South, Inc., the producer of the annual Up South International Book Festival, held in New York City in the Fall. Visit www.upsouth.org or write [email protected] for more information.