Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston will be a keynote speaker and workshop presenter at the Honolulu Pen Women 2008 Biennial Writers' Conference, "Writing Beyond Boundaries," tomorrow and Saturday at Punahou School. Presented by the Honolulu branch of the National League of American Pen Women, the conference is open to aspiring and experienced writers, and anyone with an interest in books and writing.

Houston's "Farewell to Manzanar," a story of her family's experience during the World War II internment of Japanese-Americans, has become a standard in schools and colleges across the country. The book was also made into an NBC teledrama, which earned her and her husband, author James D. Houston, an Emmy Award nomination and the prestigious Humanitas Prize.

"We are excited to present the Hawai'i writing community with the opportunity to hear and work with renowned author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, whose 'Farewell to Manzanar' is such a pivotal part of school curricula," NLAPW Honolulu president Joan Gencarelli said in a statement.

"We are especially pleased that she will be with us now, in the year that marks the work's 30th anniversary."

Other workshop presenters at the two-day conference include musician and oral historian Eddie Kamae, Hawai'i slammaster Kealoha, children's book author and illustrator James Rumford, and playwright Y York.

The Friday session will include presenter readings, book signings and a reception. The Saturday session will feature Houston's keynote address, "Crossing Cultural Borders: The Making of Farewell to Manzanar," Houston's and Kamae's master's workshops, and about a dozen other standard workshops.

Houston's workshop focuses on transforming the actual events of one's life into creative fiction.

Kamae's session will explore his use of traditional Hawaiian talk-story to gather the legends and songs of Hawai'i's kupuna (elders).

Other workshops include travel writing with Rita Ariyoshi, mystery writing with Deborah Turrell Atkinson, magazine writing with David Choo, using history in writing fiction with Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, writing about art with Stephen Little and the art of story with Margaret South.

A panel on getting published, moderated by author Nancy Alpert Mower, will feature Marion Coste, children's author and manuscript reviewer; Craig Howes, editor of "Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly"; Darrell Lum, co-founder and editor of "Bamboo Ridge Journal"; Wendy Miyake, a self-published author; and Patricia Wood, author of "Lottery."

The National League of American Pen Women, Honolulu branch, is an organization of professional writers, editors, artists and composers that dedicates itself to conducting and promoting creative and educational activities in art, letters and music.

The organization has presented its Biennial Writers' Conferences for more than 24 years.