Room 006D, Henry B. González Convention Center, River Level

Writers consider how both spoken and internal dialogue is used to create character, as well as illustrate relationships and dynamics between individuals and society at large. Through use of slang, multilingualism, and culturally specific syntax and vocabulary, writers situate characters in a particular time and place. Dialogue allows one to show characters’ lives rather than tell about them, making it a powerful tool to avoid tokenism, while exploring the full diversity of people’s experiences.

Moderated by Emma Ramadan. Ramadan is a translator based in Providence, RI, where she co-owns Riffraff bookstore and bar. She’s received an NEA Fellowship, a Fulbright, and a PEN/Heim grant. Her Deep Vellum translations include Sphinx and Not One Day by Anne Garréta, Revenge of the Translator by Brice Matthieussent, The Curious Case of Dassoukine’s Trousers by Fouad Laroui, and the forthcoming In/Concrete, also by Anne Garréta.