The Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau is proud to be a Literary Partner of the 2020 AWP Conference in San Antonio, Texas. 

In addition to showcasing some of today’s brightest literary voices at our booth, we are please to announce that our speakers  Dani Shapiro, and  Garrard Conley will be joining author Joanna Rakoff, Grace Talusan, and Tova Mivis to discuss their recent works in investigating long-held family secrets.  Join us on Thursday, March 5, 2020, from 12:10pm – 1:25pm in Room 217A at Henry B. González Convention Center, Meeting Room Level, for this exciting and engaging event.

We’ll also hosting a very special event: A Reading and Conversation with  Jean Kwok, Dani Shapiro, and  Jacqueline Woodson. These talented authors will read and discuss their writing processes, inspirations, and critically-acclaimed works. Join us on Thursday, March 5 from 3:20pm – 4:35pm in the HemisFair Ballroom C1 at Henry B. González Convention Center, Ballroom Level.

During the conference, stop by booth #3042 in the bookfair to find out more about the Speakers Bureau and how you can book one of our literary speakers for your next event. We hope to see you there!

In addition to those on our panel, we encourage you to see some of our other luminous speakers at readings and events throughout the conference.

Our Featured Panel

From Darkness to Light: Unearthing Family Secrets in Memoir with Dani Shapiro and Garrard Conley
12:10pm – 1:25pm, Thursday, March 5th
Room 217A, Henry B. González Convention Center, Meeting Room Level
Learn more on the AWP website.

 

Ariel Levy is the author of the New York Times-bestselling book The Rules Do Not Apply, a gorgeous, heartbreaking memoir about one woman overcoming dramatic loss and finding reinvention. In Levy’s poignant but humorous talks, she shares her remarkable story, and offers her insights on the shifting forces in our culture that made her journey possible—both what has changed, and what is eternal.

Danzy Senna rose to international literary fame 1998 with her extraordinary first novel, Caucasia. Since then she has become one of today’s most timely and respected literary voices, consistently challenging our culture’s defined states of race, class, and gender norms. A favorite with universities and libraries, Senna speaks about her craft as both a memoirist and fiction writer, and the timely themes that define her acclaimed books.

After a 1,000-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail, Cheryl Strayed has a story to tell. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild (released as a movie in 2014), who tells her own tale of loss and recovery with grit and humor. She is also the voice behind The Rumpus’s popular “Dear Sugar” column.

Our Speakers at AWP 2019