Deadline: June 4-5 2016 Richmond,VA
BIO welcomes biographers, editors, agents, publishers, and publicity
professionals from across the nation and around the world to the Seventh
Annual Biographers International Conference, June 3–5, in Richmond,
Virginia–a historic city ranked #3 in Travel and Leisure‘s best places to travel in 2016.
During the conference weekend, biographers have the opportunity to
network, compare notes with fellow biographers, and deepen their
knowledge of and commitment to the craft of biography.
On Friday, June 3, BIO will offer morning and afternoon tours of
three of Virginia’s top historic and archival sites. For the first time,
the roster of pre-conference events also features brief readings by
authors. The readings and Friday evening’s opening reception will be
held at the state-of-the-art Library of Virginia on Capital Square, just a short walk from the conference hotel, the Richmond Marriott Downtown.
On Saturday, June 4, the conference kicks off at the Richmond
Marriott Downtown with a breakfast plenary session featuring Annette
Gordon-Reed and T.J. Stiles in conversation, and continues with lively
panels and solo speakers, including Douglas Brinkley, Thomas Mallon,
Stacy Schiff. D.T. Max, Debby Applegate, Blake Bailey, Evan Thomas,
Irwin Gellman, Kitty Kelley, Hampton Sides, and Amanda Vaill. Sessions
will focus on topics such as research and narrative techniques, working
with an agent, and book promotion. Panels and workshops include
“Advanced Social Media,” “Bringing Characters to Life,” “Do’s and Don’ts
of Writing a Proposal,” “The Future of Research,” and “Independent
Presses for Biography.” In addition, an hour-long time slot will feature
round-table discussions on such topics as Group Biography, Black
Biographies Matter, Brief Lives, Women’s Lives, Sexuality in Biography,
and Lesser Known Subjects. Books by conference participants will be
available for purchase throughout the day.
BIO offers a coaching program that runs concurrently with the
afternoon tours on Friday, June 3, and with the round-table sessions on
Saturday, June 4. We are offering half-hour sessions with accomplished
biographers.
During lunch, Stacy Schiff will introduce Claire Tomalin, the winner of the 2016 BIO Award, who will give the keynote address.
The conference will conclude with a reception and the presentation of the Plutarch Award for the best biography of 2015.
New this year on Sunday, June 5, is the free BIO Book Bash, an
opportunity for conference attendees and the public to meet and mingle
with BIO authors and conference panelists, who will be selling and
signing their books.