Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson is keynote speaker for 2017 CCA Writers’ Conference

Canyon Crest Academy’s Creative Writing Club recently announced that New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson will give the keynote address at the 6th Annual Canyon Crest Academy Writers’ Conference on Saturday, March 11, 2017.

Pearson is the award-winning author of young adult novels, novellas and short stories. Her works include the recently completed trilogy The Remnant Chronicles, which, in a starred review, Publisher’s Weekly called “masterfully crafted.” The first book in the trilogy, The Kiss of Deception, was chosen by teens as a 2015 YALSA Top Ten title. Her novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, has won numerous awards, is used in classrooms across the country, and has been optioned for film and slated for theaters in 2018. Her other novels include Golden Kite winner A Room on Lorelei Street, The Miles Between, and Scribbler of Dreams. Pearson writes from her home in Carlsbad. You can learn more about Pearson and her books at www.marypearson.com.

Because of the generosity of conference sponsors, as well as extensive fundraising by the Creative Writing Club, this event is free to high school students. This is the only free writing conference for high school students in the country.

Over 200 students from 24 different high schools attended the 2016 conference, participating in workshops by 23 speakers, including young adult authors, screenwriters, journalists, songwriters, poets and more.

Natalie Lakosil, literary agent at Bradford Literary Agency, and long-time conference speaker notes, “There is no other conference like CCA; everyone involved is approachable, thorough and informative, and the event provides a dedicated space for teens to hone craft, interact with fellow teen authors and bestsellers alike, and learn about the publishing industry in a fun and interactive way.”

Julia Camilleri, president of the CCA Creative Writing Club and coordinator of the conference, said, “The club is very excited to host the conference, and we can’t wait to be inspired by our keynote speaker, Mary Pearson. So many of our attendees say they’ve ‘found their tribe’ here – fellow students who love the written word. We welcome high school students from all over San Diego to come together and learn from the best in the business.”

Julia notes, “In order to continue to provide this free experience to high school students, the CCA Creative Writing Club is looking for individual and corporate sponsors. You can sponsor a student for as little as $25, or become a Gold Sponsor for more. Please can contact me at ccawritersconference@gmail.com for more information on sponsoring the conference.”

The Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore will sell speakers’ books with a portion of the proceeds going to the conference.

Students can learn more about the conference at ccawritersconference2017.weebly.com, by liking the CCA Writers Conference page on Facebook, or following it on Twitter. Online registration will be open on Jan. 5. 2017.

The 6th Annual CCA Writers’ Conference will be held from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, 2017, at Canyon Crest Academy, Proscenium and Media Center, 5951 Village Center Loop Road, San Diego, 92130. The event is for high school students only and is free.