2016 Keynote Speakers
Gilbert King 2016 Friday Keynote Speaker
Sheryl WuDunn 2016 Saturday Keynote Speaker
Margo Jefferson 2016 Sunday Keynote Speaker
The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference is a forum for journalists, writers, readers, students, educators and the general public to listen to, be inspired by and practice their craft at the highest possible level.
Every year, the Mayborn Conference gathers some of the most talented storytellers in the country to share their stories, life-changing experiences and expertise with aspiring writers through three days of lectures, panels, one-on-one sessions, and student classes.
In addition, the conference includes a variety of writing contests for anyone from high school students to Pulitzer prize winning professionals, who receive hand-made trophies, more than $26,000 in cash awards and have their work published in Mayborn's journal, Ten Spurs, or anthology, Best American Newspaper Narratives.
As the nation’s premier literary nonfiction conference, the 2016 conference is part of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize, one of the most coveted awards. This year’s theme, “Pulitzers: A Century of Excellence: People, Politics, & Public Affairs, plays off the convergence of a presidential election at yet another transformative moment in the nation’s history.
The world watches as the U.S. bids farewell to its first African American president in the midst of a cacophony of debate on health care, gun rights, national security, foreign relations and immigration. Our goal this year is to allow the Pulitzer Prize to serve as a prism to discuss how these stories have become an integral component of this democracy.
We also want to recognize this award as the symbol of the great accomplishments of journalists who have set out on a mission to seek the truth, tell compelling stories and provide readers insights into the world around them. The Pulitzer Prize offers the world a snapshot of the world’s events: Whether it’s been covering a breaking news disaster like September 11, the uncovering the misdeeds of the President of the United States and his cabinet, the impact of war on the citizens of Afghanistan or the flaws in the federal regulation on food safety. In many cases, these stories, often borne in the pursuit of a routine idea, have changed lives, changed institutions and inspired journalists to go beyond the obvious to dig deep, circumventing obstacles from officials and reluctant sources.
This conference will attract nearly three-dozen speakers from the nation’s top media outlets participating in high-energy, interactive, engaging and educational workshops to an audience of more than 400 reporters, editors, writers, publishers, agents and educators.
