Weeklong event gives participants a chance to interact with professional editors and agents
MARCH 11, 2016 BY MACKENZIE QUICK
Gothataone Moeng
Two University of Mississippi students have been selected as scholars for the Seaside Writers Conference, coming up this summer in Seaside, Florida.
Both Maggie Woodward and Gothataone Moeng are pursuing Masters of Fine Arts in English. Woodward is the 2016 UM Scholar in Poetry, and Moeng is the 2016 UM Scholar in Fiction. Both students are standouts in their fields, having their work appear in multiple publications.
“We have many talented writers in our MFA program and the Seaside Conference is a wonderful opportunity for students to study with professional writers, to hone their skills and to get a better understanding of what is required to become a successful writer,” said Ivo Kamps, chair of the UM Department of English.
The Seaside Writers Conference is a weeklong gathering of writers from across the country. The conference includes workshops, seminars and outreach programs, as well as social events.
The conference features award-winning writers in poetry, fiction and screenwriting. A faculty of accomplished writers, including Rebecca Makkai, Matt Bondurant and Seth Brady Tucker, will lead the sessions.
Maggie Woodward
Woodward is the senior editor of the Yalobusha Review and curates Oxford’s Trobac Ric Reading Series. She is a high school debate coach and a programmer for the Oxford Film Festival. Her work has appeared in publications such as Axolotl Magazine, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, te wu-wei fashion mag, Inferior Planets, Devil’s Lake and The Atlas Review.
Moeng, originally from Serowe, Botswana, was a finalist for the 2015 Driftless Prize in Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in several collections, including “Summoning the Rains,” “The Bed Book of Stories“ and “Lemon Tea and Other Stories from Botswana.“
“I feel incredibly lucky to have been selected for the conference,” Moeng said. “I am looking forward to working with Rebecca Makkai and the opportunity to interact with professional editors and agents.”
Seaside Fellows and Scholars are selected via a competitive process based on their writing skill and accomplishments. Fellows and Scholars assist the faculty in the workshops and will do a reading of their work during the conference.
For more information contact the UM Department of English at 662-915-7439.