Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- StoryCon, Utah's largest literacy event, debuts Feb. 21-22 in Salt Lake City.
- The event, an evolution of Teen Author Boot Camp, promotes children's literacy and creativity.
- Notable authors and free resources for dyslexia will be featured at the convention.
SALT LAKE CITY — Readers, writers and literary enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds can find community with other word lovers at the state's newest literacy conference.
StoryCon is an "evolution" of Teen Author Boot Camp, an annual writers conference nonprofit Operation Literacy has been hosting for 15 years. CEO Jennifer Jenkins said the event is all about promoting children's literacy and fostering creativity and a love of reading in youth.
"It is, without question, the largest literacy event that the state of Utah has ever hosted," Jenkins said.
The impetus of Teen Author Boot Camp was to provide opportunities for students to connect with their community, learn and enhance their abilities.
"There's so many opportunities in this world to support athletes and dancers and not enough out there to support our creative kids," she said.
StoryCon was created to be an expanded version of the teen writing conference, but for creators of all kinds, from screenwriters and playwrights to lyricists and novelists.
"All of these forms of art really center at their core with writing. Being able to be a strong writer and to tell a story well is so pivotal to just overall success in life," she said.
The two-day event at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Feb. 21 and 22 has writing master classes for teens, tweens, educators and "anyone that is inspired by storytelling." In addition to four different conference options, a free exhibit hall is open to the public with almost 100 authors, dozens of book signings and multiple keynote speakers.
"The vibe is going to be so fun and really put a positive, uplifting lens on reading for Utah kids and for Utah families and even for adults," she said.
Well-known authors attending StoryCon include Jeff Kinney, of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book series; Shannon Hale, known for "Princess Academy"; Brandon Mull, writer of the "Fablehaven" series, and other authors of beloved books.
Also in the exhibit hall, there will be free screenings from Operation Read for dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The booth will provide resources and tools "that can really provide game-changing results for children," Jenkins said.
Operation Literacy was "born out of a desire to do good" by a writers' group that wanted to give back to the community. In 2009, Jenkins went to Utah Valley University with the idea of holding a writing workshop for teens.
The Teen Author Boot Camp became one of the largest teen writers conferences in the nation, and now Jenkins hopes StoryCon can impact even more people.
"You can impact the way your children see books, reading and writing. You don't have to give up on that. Let us help you," she said.
Children identify whether or not they like books early on in life, Jenkins said. "So that's why we exist. We're trying to help inspire the next generation of readers at a time when Utah, and the nation as a whole, is really on the cusp of a serious literacy crisis," she said.
Jenkins voiced concern over declining literacy rates in the state and said reading levels correlate to success in life, so it's crucial to emphasize reading skills.
"As an individual and a citizen of my community, I can't think of a more impactful way to elevate our society than to elevate literacy for our children. And help turn those numbers around, and I think that this is a really powerful way to do that," she said.
The power of validation is crucial in fostering excellence in writing for youth, she added, so Operation Literacy hosts multiple writing contests and publishes dozens of teens' writings each year.
"We know when we validate a developing mind, what we are doing is we are creating a path to probable success. We are telling this child that 'you are good at this.' And we know statically, if a child feels they are good at (something), then they like it. They pursue it," she said.
Tickets for children ages 8-12 are $39; general admission tickets are $59, and specialty packages and add-ons are also available. For more information, visit storycon.org.
