On April 12, the department of writing and rhetoric will host the 10th Festival of Writers Showcase in Banquet Rooms A and B of the Oakland Center from 12-3 p.m. The Festival of Writers is hosted at the end of every semester to allow writing students a chance to showcase their work.

“Students from across the campus are invited to submit their work,” event coordinator Jennifer Coon said. “We feature journalism students, poets, fraternities, student writer groups, the writing and rhetoric majors group, music composers, English and foreign language majors.  Any type of writing is welcome — visual, digital, artistic and oral.”

The festival of writers is designed to be a celebration of the high quality writing students have submitted.

“(It) has a party atmosphere with door prizes, oral presentations, interactive media presentations, snacks, a live recording booth and a chance to talk with young writers about their work,” Coon said.

The party will have certain literary entertainment twists as well.

“(There will be) a Facebook update-your-status-from-the-festival corner, videos, live demonstrations, dramatic reading s of student-authored plays, a recording booth for the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives, a graffiti wall, the 2011 Ekphrastic Poetry winner and the student writer’s group Swallow the Moon,” Coon said.

About 250 pieces will be showcased at the festival. The span of the writing projects includes group, oral and individual.

“Truly the best aspect of the event is offering our student writers a wider audience for their writing than just a professor, if the work is for a class, or a friend is the work is personal,” Coon said.

The festival of writers will display the work of about 350 writers. They expect over 200 visitors.

“We invite everyone from the campus community, including those who value writing in their own work and teaching,” Coon said.

The large audience gives participants the chance to learn more about how to improve their writing.

“We invite students and teachers from local high schools so they may experience college-level writing, and we also hope to host many families and friends of our young writers.  In this way, we offer our students the chance to receive feedback and the chance to talk about their process, choices and completed work.”

For information about the Festival of Writers showcase visit www2.oakland.edu/wrt/festival.cfm