What: Our Culture, Our Selves: Writing Through a Cultural Perspective – Prose Workshop, led by Aida Zilelian

Where: Online via Zoom

When: Thursday, February 2, 2023, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST

Cost for Workshop: $30 for MWC Members, $40 for non-MWC Members. Scholarships available for students, veterans, and those with financial need – contact MWC for more information

Contact: Ryan Collins: ryan.collins@mwcqc.org | 309-732-7330

Workshop Description:

Our Culture, Our Selves: Writing Through a Cultural Perspective

Culture is a way of life that speaks to our many identities. In this class we will read excerpts of stories that reflect the concept of culture in its various forms. From there we will generate ideas to focus on one aspect of our self and brainstorm several ideas for writing a story (fiction or non-fiction).


Registration – “Writing Through a Cultural Perspective” Workshop



Instructor Bio:

Aida Zilelian is a first generation American-Armenian writer, educator and storyteller from Queens, NY. Her fiction explores the depths of love and family relationships, culture and the connections between characters that transcend time and circumstance. Her first novel (unpublished) The Hollowing Moon, was one of the top three finalists of the Anderbo Novel Contest. The sequel The Legacy of Lost Things was published in 2015 (Bleeding Heart Publications) and was the recipient of the 2014 Tololyan Literary Award. Aida has been featured on NPR, The Huffington PostKirkus ReviewsPoets & Writers, and various reading series throughout Queens and Manhattan. Her short story collection These Hills Were Meant for You was shortlisted for the 2018 Katherine Anne Porter Award. Aida’s most recently completed novel, All the Ways We Lied, is slated for release in January 2024 (Keylight Books/Turner Bookstore).

Website: www.AidaZilelian.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aidazilelian/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aida.zileliansilak/ and www.facebook.com/AidaZilelian

Twitter: twitter.com/AidaZilelian

This workshop is made possible thanks to the support of Illinois Humanities and the Illinois Arts Council Agency