- AUTHOR-
BILLIE TRAVALINI
UPDATES & EVENTS
UPDATES
January 26, 2026
My paper, Alice Munro: the search for wholeness, is included in Alice Munro Plenary: Life, History, Boundaries, Legacy: 17th International Conference on the Short Story in English – Dr. Maurice A. Lee (Author) Aaron Penn (Editor)
This plenary from the conference has been one of the most difficult pieces to put together for publication. All of the participants are writers and scholars, many with other occupations. It is clear we needed all of our skills in presenting this material to the conference audience. I can say without hesitation we feel as though we presented enough for the moment, as well as acknowledging we will be rewriting much of this for many years moving forward. This is not fiction; this is life and none of us felt adequate to address that for others as well as for ourselves. What we all felt comfortable with, however, was to ensure “truth” was outed and thus with that incredible reality, writers, critics, scholars, readers, students, editors, publishers, bookstore owners and the general public could make their own decisions about Alice Munro and her legacy. Maurice A. Lee
December 3, 2025
Book launch University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. This is What it Feels Like. From an idea at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (June 20 -24, 2023), to two years of ICSSE collegiate writing to monthly picture cues to its fruition at the University of Melbourne, with a detour to the University of the Real…This is What it Feels Like’ is in the world thanks to the creative vision of Julia Prendergast and Rebekah Clarke (co-editors); of the latter’s eloquent introductory words and weaving of thematic threads, of the generous endorsements from important creative & critical writers; of the wherewithal of Recent Work Press enabling the sharing of work.
Readings from Julia Pendergast, Rebekah Clarke, Gay Lynch, Shady Cosgrove, and, in absentia, Billie Travalini at AAWP Introduction Nuala O’Connor and Jo Chase.
June 17 – 21, 2025
17th International Conference of the Short Story In English, Ireland National and Events Centre (CEC), Killarney, Kerry.
Workshop leader: Writing Like a Reader - how to give readers what they want.
Plenary Panel: Alice Munro: life History, Boundaries Legacy, Clarke Blaise, Maurice A. Lee, Evelyn Conlon, Taylor Marie Graham, Darlene Madott, Michael Mirolla, R.J. (Tim) Struthers, and Billie Travalini.
Original readings: Billie Travalini, Nuala O’Connor, and Robin Hemley
September 2024 – December 2024
International Women of Flash Prompt & Intrigue Consortium. After serving on “The Importance of Flash Fiction” plenary panel, 16th International Conference of the Short Story in English, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (June 20 -24, 2023), panel members, Rebekah Clarke (Australia), Shady Cosgrove (Australia), Gay Lynch (Australia), Julia Prenderghast (Australia) and Billie Travalini (United States) realized the adventure must continue. And, so it did. With the use of shared prompts throughout 2024 and 2025, we discovered new pathways to being inspired and wrote new flash stories, or flash shrunk into micro flash, or expanded into longer-than-expected flash stories.
August 23 -24 2024
17th Annual Lewes Creative Writers’ Conference
Lewes Public Library, Lewes, Delaware
Friday, August 23 | 5:00 PM Readings by conference presenters: Lauren Grodstein, Alison Condie Jaenicke, Kirk Judd, Julia Spicher Kasdorf, Jamie Lackey, and Billie Travalini.
Saturday, 8:45 – 9:00 AM
Welcome | Billie Travalini, Conference Organizer
General Remarks | Rebecca Lowe, Library Staff
9:00AM – 3:30PM (Summary)
Keynote: Billie Travalini led |a conversation with award winning novelist, Ethan Joella, followed by open sessions, panel discussions, small critique workshops, and readings by Delaware Division of the Arts Fellows. Session and panel discussions topics include: Writing the Child, Writing your Roots, Voice to Voice, Epistolary Writing: fiction in fragments, Collaboration, and Grants and Services for Writers. https://lewes.lib.de.us/2024/05/03/17th-annual-lewes-creative-writers-conference/#citem_d17a-0782
August 2025
Lewes Creative Writers' Conference, Lewes Public Library, Lewes, Delaware. After 17 years of welcoming professional writers and poets – local, national, and international – as well as emerging writers and readers of all ages, the conference ended to make way for other, equally exciting opportunities. It was my great honor to witness emerging writers become published writers and continue the local tradition of “paying it forward” - creating readings and writing workshops throughout Delaware, with some writers earning state and national awards and/or fellowships along the way. A huge thank-you to the staff of the Lewes Public Library, especially, Chris Dudridge, Kristen Gramer, and Rebecca Lowe. I also want to thank the many volunteers, writers, and poets who showed up year-after-year to network, share, and grow in a diverse-friendly setting. Finally, I want to thank the conference sponsors, including The Lewes Public Library, Delaware Division of the Arts, Delaware Division of Libraries, John and Sally Freeman Foundation, and The Parker Real Estate Group, LLC for their generous support.
May 7, 2024
Guest author at Swinburne University, Australia
Dr. Julia Prendergast, Associate Professor, Discipline Leader Creative Writing, Literature, Publishing, invited Billie to discuss with students her ideas and her writing and to undertake workshop exercises.
Sample PowerPoint Exercises
April 6 and April 17, 2024
Book launch and Award Ceremony, The Newcastle Writers Festival, Australia. My story, Watch, To Keep Someone or Something Under Close Observation, was included in Remnant, an anthology of Microlit, Spineless Wonders publishing, (www.theend.fyi/creative/spineless-wonders). The event included live readings as well as pre-recorded video-taped readings. Reading April 17, Spineless Wonders online launch.
Interview
Billie Travalini interviewed by Jeff Balk, General Manager
Radio Rehoboth 99.1 WWSX 99.1FM
Preview attachment Travalini_12-02-20.mp3