International Writers’ Conference, early bird discounts available until the 30th June 2017

New talents to discover, traditional publishing, digital publishing, self-publishing, translation, contractual rights and cinema; some of the topics that will be explored at the 13^th International Women’s Fiction Festival, hosted in Matera from the 28^th-30^th September 2017.

Balancing the traditional with the innovative, the world of books is in constant evolution. Understanding which doors open and which close is vitally important. The International Writers’ Conference of Women’s Fiction Festival is always an open door.

Once again, the Book Market will give participants an opportunity to pitch their written works to editors and literary agents one-on-one. Additionally, established writers, publishing experts and translators contributing to the conference will be available for personalised consultations. All this, whilst enjoying the city of Matera, Unesco World Heritage Site and European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Guests of the 13^th Edition of WFF include: Porter Anderson, editor-in-chief of the international publishing magazine Publishing Perspectives; Alessandra Tavella, director of Amazon Publishing; editors Nicoll Flo from Harper Collins; Edoardo Brugnatelli from Mondadori and director of Anobii; Stefano Izzo from Rizzoli; Francesca Cristoffanini from De Agostini; Ricciarda Barbieri from Feltrinelli and Alice Di Stefano from Fazi; a publishing house that in recent years, thanks to the WFF Book Market,  has discovered two nationally debuted new talents. Agents include: Christine Witthohn from the Book Cents Literary Agency, Maria Paola Romeo from Grandi & Associati, and Katharine Sands from the Sarah Jane Freeman Literary Agency in New York.

Providing valuable expertise to authors regarding the different phases of publishing there will be book coach Francesco Gungui, the multi published writer and a central pillar to the ‘Centro Formazione Supereroi’ and Shari Stauch, PR and marketing expert and creator of Winner Circle, Where Writers Win. On digital publishing, Francesca Colletti from Rizzoli, Ricardo Fayet from Reedsy and Sandra Lonchamp from Kobo will introduce new trends, tools and opportunities in the market. Insights into editing will not be missed with a workshop by Elisabetta Flumeri and Gabriella Giacometti from Ewwa.

Lessons on narrative techniques based on The Hero’s Journey will be conducted by the Hollywood director and producer Bonnie O’Neal, together with producer Mark Melville and editor and media scout  Maria Francesca Gagliardi that will also talk about the transposition of literary works into film. The renowned writer from London, Mark Dawson, who has climbed the charts with a series dedicated to the detective John Milton, will focus on issues related to the career of a writer and self-publishing. Social media and online promotion will be at the heart of the panel with the writer’s virtual assistant, Maria Connor. For the Decalogue of the translator, Mario Pennacchio of Step Language Service, will hold a master class on Walt Disney’s language. Athina Papa, interpreter and translator, will look at other aspects of translation and will be available for one-to-one consultancy in the ‘Ask a Pro’ section of the Book Market.

Early bird discounted registration for the International Writers Conference will be available until the 30th June 2017 and the provisional programme of the conference will be published in the coming weeks.

The Women’s Fiction Festival is currently supported by the Fondazione Carical (Cosenza), Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Nova Siri e Laurenzana, Kobo Inc (Paris), Reedsy Limited (London).

To boost the resources of WFF for the programming of public events and encourage grass roots participation, our crowdfunding campaign runs until the 11^th June 2017 with new rewards including locally produced fine art prints, books and massages.

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