Bethlehem, Pa, May 19, 2105—Renowned memoirist, novelist and award-winning blogger Beth Kephart will present the keynote address for the 2015 Moravian Writers’ Conference on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Moravian College’s Foy Hall. Kephart will present “Where You Live and What You Love: The Landscape of the Story.” The public is welcome to attend the keynote presentation and admission is free of charge.

Kephart is the author of twenty books, including the forthcoming Love: A Philadelphia Affair and Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir, along with multiple young adult novels, including One Thing Stolen, Small Damages and Going Over. For more information visit Kephart's website: beth-kephart.blogspot.com.

The evening’s opening act will be storytelling presentations on the conference theme (“Stories and/of Home”) by students from the Moravian Academy Upper School and Freedom High School. Participating students Jade Appel, Tom Bloxam, Sarah Burcaw, Avery Chapman, Emilio Cintron, Andrew Hogan, Noah Ruebeck, Griffin Smith-Nichols, Jasmine Rodriguez, and Brandon Van Loveren have all been participating in story-sharing activities organized by Moravian Academy English teacher Catherine Moore as part of her “Power of Story” class this spring.

Moore will also lead a Saturday-morning workshop titled “Exploring the Power of Story through Experiential Learning” as part of the Moravian Writers’ Conference, held June 5-7 on Moravian College’s main campus. The conference will offer workshops in a range of genres; writer shop talks; a panel on independent publishing; a roundtable discussion featuring writers Beth Kephart, Kate Racculia, and Chuck Wendig, and literary agents Bridget Smith and Jennifer Udden; and an interview/Q&A with Beth Kephart and writer A.S. King. Some workshops are now full, but registration for the conference will remain open until Friday, May 29. More information is available at www.moravian.edu/writersconference.

Now in its second year, the Moravian Writers’ Conference will be held June 5-7, 2015. With a focus on community, craft, and inspiration, the Moravian Writers’ Conference presents opportunities to work with accomplished faculty—established and emerging writers and publishing professionals—through workshops, shop talks, roundtable discussions, and more.

The conference welcomes writers of all genres and at all career stages. Come energize your writing with challenging and supportive workshops, advance your craft with feedback from our accomplished faculty, be inspired by our renowned keynote speaker, and make connections with other writers.

Moravian College’s Hurd Campus, in historic Bethlehem, Pa, with its rich history dating to the colonial era, is the perfect setting for a celebration of the work of these two authors, many of whose books have been informed by deep historical research.

Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Joyce Hinnefeld, Conference Director at writersconference@moravian.edu prior to the event.

Note to editors: Both Beth Kephart and Catherine Moore are available to discuss plans for the Saturday, June 6 keynote event. For more information, contact Joyce Hinnefeld, Conference Director, Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pa., call 610-861-1392 or 610-703-5620; or by email at: hinnefeldj@moravian.edu or writersconference@moravian.edu.