Going to AWP this year? Join Voice of Witness and our partner Thousand Currents on Thursday, February 9th for a book-signing with VOW Co-founder Dave Eggers and a panel on the intersections of literature and human rights storytelling.
See below for details.
CONFERENCE INFO:
Associated Writers and Writing Programs Conference
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001
AUTHOR SIGNING WITH DAVE EGGERS:
When/Where: Thursday, February 9th, 2017 from 3:00-4:00pm at Voice of Witness table #324-T
Voice of Witness Co-founder Dave Eggers will be at the VOW table signing copies of our anthology, The Voice of Witness Reader
PANEL: AMPLIFYING UNHEARD VOICES
When/Where: Thursday, February 9th, 2017 from 4:30-5:45 pm in Room 202B, Level Two
Moderator: Dave Eggers
Speakers: Mimi Lok (Executive Director, Voice of Witness), Jennifer Lentfer (Director of Communications, Thousand Currents), Lorena (VOW narrator, Underground America)
In a world of 24-hour news cycles and soundbites, whose stories get heard, and whose don’t? How can we challenge the single story portrayal of human rights issues, and of marginalized communities? A lively conversation about the power of the story in human rights, and the roles of two organizations (Voice of Witness, a literary and human rights non-profit, and Thousand Currents (formerly IDEX) an international development organization) in amplifying unheard voices in the United States and around the world.
This panel illustrates the effectiveness of literary nonfiction techniques in advancing human rights. Audiences will learn about the range of stories and issues portrayed in the Voice of Witness oral history book series, the impact of disseminating these stories, and the literary oral history methodology that underpins the work. They will also learn about the practical intersection of literature and human rights through VOW’s partnership with Thousand Currents on a new book about food sovereignty.
Discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.
