Sat. March 29, 2025
3:20 PM – 4:35 PM PT
Los Angeles Convention Center
Free

The Female Gaze: Powerful Narratives for The Times

Two women, one with curly blonde hair and one with long curly black hair, are featured on a promotional graphic for the 2025 AWP Conference & Bookfair. The event titled The Female Gaze: Powerful Narratives for the Times is hosted by PEN America.

PEN America is once again proud to be a part of the 2025 Annual AWP Conference and Bookfair, which is taking place from March 26-29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center this year.

What counts as a powerful female narrative in our current cultural landscape? Why do stories around female identity, rights to our bodies, and education, spark so much controversy? How do we engage our audiences in these conversations? This year, PEN America’s interim co-CEO Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf will be in conversation with bestselling author Jodi Picoult, whose work Nineteen Minutes was the most banned title in 2024.

The AWP Conference and Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration.

Bookfair

PEN America is thrilled to take part in this celebration of the literary community. Be sure to stop by Booth #410 to grab some swag, take a picture in front of our banned books wall, and chat with staff!

AWP Happy Hour

Lastly, we’d love to see you at our AWP Happy Hour, which will be taking place on March 29th at 5:15pm at the Library Bar (after our featured panel)!

Speakers

  • A woman with long curly hair, wearing a striped blazer over a black top, smiles at the camera against a plain light background.

    Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf

    Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf joined PEN America in 2015, and serves…

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  • A woman with curly red hair wearing a purple blouse smiles softly at the camera, seated indoors with a lit fireplace in the blurred background.

    Jodi Picoult

    Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of…

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