Descendants Author to Speak at Aloha Writers Conference

Kaui Hart Hemmings, whose novel, The Descendants, was set in Hawaii and made into the highly acclaimed film starring George Clooney, will be a presenter at the Aloha Writers Conference. Photo courtesy of AWC.

By Sonia Isotov

Aspiring and experienced writers will descend on Kapalua in January 2013 for the inaugural Aloha Writers Conference at The Ritz-Carlton in the hopes of improving their skills and getting published by one of the top agents, editors and publishers attending the event.

Kaui Hart Hemmings (whose novel, The Descendants, was set in Hawaii and made into the highly acclaimed film starring George Clooney), Jacquelyn Mitchard (author of The Deep End of the Ocean), Thomas Cook (winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award), John Lescroart (best-selling suspense author), and Diane Lake (whose screenplay Frida won two Academy Awards), are just a few of the presenters.

The Aloha Writers Conference is being hosted by Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers, a native Hawaiian non-profit with a focus on literacy.

Currently, the Aloha Writers Conference is offering a limited number of scholarships for State of Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) teachers. The scholarships cover the full conference tuition only.  In order to apply for the Aloha Writers Conference DOE scholarship, go online to the scholarship request form. Teachers must be currently working in a public school to qualify.

Pre-registration starts at $695 for those registering before October 1, 2012. To learn more or register, visit www.alohawritersconference.com.