The event, June 11-15 in the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity on the Richmond campus, is the longest running creative writing conference in Kentucky and one of the older ones in the nation. Participants will immerse themselves in creative writing for a week, participate in craft workshops and lectures and discuss their complete manuscripts with conference faculty.

In addition, a Small and Independent Press Panel on Thursday, June 14 will feature Sarah Gorham, co-founder Sarabande Books; Charlie Hughes, Wind Publications; and Kate Larken, publisher, Motes Books.

The conference is open to emerging and experienced writers alike.

Days are rounded out with group lunches and dinners. Evenings also feature readings by visiting writers and conference faculty. The readings will take place at 7 p.m. daily June 11-14 in the Noel Studio’s Discovery Classroom.

Visiting writers for this year’s conference are:

• Harry Brown, Foundation Professor Emeritus of English at EKU, the author of six poetry collections, most recently “In Some Households The King Is Soul.”
• T Fleischmann, whose book-length essay, “Syzygy, Beauty,” is recently out from Sarabande Books, and who has contributed Notable Essays in “The Best American Essays, 2009 and 2010.”
• George Ella Lyon, award-winning Kentucky author and poet, whose recent works include “She Let Herself Go” (poetry), “Holding on to Zoe” (novel) and “Which Side Are You On? The Story of A Song” and “All the Water in the World,” picture books and both ALA notables.
• Amy Elizabeth Smith, author of the newly released travel memoir, “All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year-Long Journey with Jane,” which describes a year traveling in eight Latin American countries, learning Spanish and leading Jane Austen reading groups.
• Crystal Wilkinson, Kentucky native and author of “Blackberries, Blackberries,” winner of the 2002 Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature,” and “Water Street,” a finalist for both the UK’s Orange Prize for Fiction and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.

Conference faculty, who all teach in EKU’s Master’s in Fine Arts Creative Writing Program (Bluegrass Writers Studio), are:

• Julie Hensley, whose stories and poems have appeared in many journals and whose poetry chapbook, “The Language of Horses,” was released in 2011.
• Nancy Jensen, whose novel, “The Sisters,” was selected by the Independent Booksellers Association as the No. 1 Indie Next Pick for December 2011 and included by Kirkus Reviews on its Best Fiction of 2011 list.
• R Dean Johnson, whose essays and stories have appeared in numerous publications and whose fiction has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

The application deadline is May 26. For more information, including tuition costs, contact Conference Director R Dean Johnson at r-dean.johnson@eku.edu or at 622-6263.

Students and non-students are encouraged to apply, and on-campus housing is available. For those 65 and older, the conference is free, with a non-refundable $35 application fee.

The conference is sponsored by EKU’s Master’s in Fine Arts Creative Writing Program (Bluegrass Writers Studio) and the Department of English and Theatre. For more information about the program, download a brochure and application at www.english.eku.edu/mfa. The event also has a Facebook page at EKU Summer Creative Writing Conference.