The Italian Diaspora Studies Association, in collaboration with Chapman University in Orange, California, announces the Italian Diaspora Studies Writing Seminar 2027, scheduled for May 12–22, 2027, in Cetraro, Calabria.
The 11-day residential program will welcome a maximum of 20 participants to the Grand Hotel San Michele, overlooking the Tyrrhenian coast. Dedicated to creative nonfiction, the seminar offers writers an opportunity to explore Italian heritage, migration, identity, and personal memories while developing their literary skills.
The program includes five workshops led by internationally recognized writers and academics. Pasquale Verdicchio, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, will explore narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and autobiography. Award-winning author Anna Citrino will lead sessions on cultural heritage, personal experiences, and connections to Italian identity.
Chapman University professor Mark Axelrod-Sokolov will teach dialogue construction, while York University scholar Guillaume Bernardi will examine how family photographs inspire stories about migration.
Margherita Ganeri, Professor of Contemporary Italian Literature at the University of Calabria and founding director of the Italian Diaspora Studies Seminar, will explore Southern Italy through Italian and diaspora literature.
An optional autobiographical poetry workshop will be conducted by Stephen J. Cribari.
Participants will attend morning and afternoon workshops, evening readings and discussions, and two excursions exploring Calabria's cultural heritage.
The Grand Hotel San Michele offers a swimming pool, golf course, private beach, and cuisine featuring locally grown organic products.
Open to established and aspiring writers, academics, and anyone interested in exploring their roots, the seminar welcomes participants regardless of Italian ancestry.
A further objective is developing a new volume for the bilingual Notebooks from the Grand Hotel S. Michele series.
For information and participation inquiries:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://italiandiasporastudies.com/
