/24-7PressRelease/ - BRANDON, MS, June 06, 2008 - Author Jeff VanderMeer has been named Assistant Director of Wofford College's Shared Worlds Creative Writing Program. This innovative two-week program brings high school students and authors, artists, designers and scientists together in a unique, collaborative learning environment. Guided by course instructors and guest authors, students will design their own imaginary worlds, learning the art of creative writing in a dynamic "hands on" fashion. In addition to helping with the program, VanderMeer will also teach during the two-week period. Critically acclaimed writers Tobias Buckell and Ekaterina Sedia will also be part of the Shared Worlds experience.
"As far as I can tell," said VanderMeer, "this is one of the only programs of its type in the country. It's an exciting catalyst for energizing young people to use their imaginations in a creative and mind-expanding ways. Director Jeremy Jones has put together a really wonderful program that's also a lot of fun, and I expect to learn a lot from the students, as well."
Jones, a lecturer at Wofford, emphasized the general benefits of the experience. "This camp is designed to be an interdisciplinary creative writing camp. Students work on problem solving skills, and they leave with an enhanced knowledge of how to work together and how to contribute to a group."
VanderMeer has taught at the Clarion Workshop (University of California, San Diego) as well as at the Brisbane Writers Festival in Australia, Trinity Prep School in Orlando and many other schools and universities. An award-winning fantasist, his work has been translated into over 20 languages, with short fiction featured on Wired.com's GeekDad, among others. VanderMeer has collaborated on short films with rock groups like The Church, has had his fiction adapted for promotional purposes by Playstation Europe by filmmaker Joel Veitch, and writes for the Amazon book blog "Omnivoracious", io9.com, and The Washington Post. His online nonfiction has been name-checked frequently by the likes of the LA Times, Boing Boing, and many more. With his wife Ann VanderMeer, the fiction editor for Weird Tales, he is the co-editor of Best American Fantasy, Fast Ships, Black Sails, Steampunk, New Weird and many more. The VanderMeers live in Tallahassee, FL.
Wofford College is an independent liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, SC. Shared Worlds will be held on campus from July 20 through August 2. Student slots are still available.
For more information, visit http://sharedworlds.wofford.edu/ or the official press release: http://www.wofford.edu/newsroom/story.aspx?id=40072. To interview VanderMeer, email him at vanderworld@hotmail.com.
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