Kentucky Women Writers Conference facts for kids
The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is a special event that celebrates women writers. It started in 1979 at the University of Kentucky (UK). Imagine, famous writers like Maya Angelou and Alice Walker were there in the very first year! This conference is now the longest-running yearly festival for women writers in the United States. It's a place where both well-known and new authors can share their stories and ideas.
How It All Began
The idea for the conference came from Nancy Dye, a history professor at the University of Kentucky. She thought it would be great to use extra money to invite women writers to the campus. A group of 16 people from different university departments and the local community helped make the first conference happen. Later, Jane Gentry Vance, an English professor at UK, directed the conference in 1984–1985. She even became Kentucky's Poet Laureate!
Growing and Changing
From 1985 to 1993, Betty Gabehart was the director. She helped the conference become very well-known and stable. She worked there the longest, making a big difference in its reputation. After her, Jan Oaks directed the conference from 1994 to 1996. Patti DeYoung was the director in 1997.
A New Home
In 1998, the conference faced a challenge. It lost its funding from the university because it couldn't find a department to support it. So, the people who ran the conference decided to create their own non-profit organization. They moved the conference to the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in downtown Lexington. It was then renamed the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Jan Isenhour, who also directed the Carnegie Center, led the conference from 1998 to 2002. Many volunteers helped keep it going during these years.
Back at the University
Good news came in 2002! The president of the University of Kentucky, Lee Todd, decided to support the conference again. This showed that the university cared about events for women and the community. Since then, the conference has worked with many groups and volunteers to get support. The University of Kentucky helps with staff salaries, office space, and most of the running costs. Other groups like the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the Kentucky Arts Council also provide important financial help. This support allows the conference to bring in amazing writers every year.
What Happens Now?
Since 2003, Brenda Weber and Rebecca Gayle Howell have directed the conference. Rebecca Gayle Howell started some popular free community events. These include the Gypsy Slam, the Sonia Sanchez Series, and the Hardwick/Jones keynote reading. These events focus on how writers help and work with each other. In 2007, Julie Kuzneski Wrinn became the director. The conference continues to be a yearly event, celebrating women writers and their important contributions. For example, the 38th annual conference was held in Lexington, Kentucky on September 15-16, 2017.
