Founded 17 years ago, the conference is one of those under-the-radar events some people might be surprised is alive and thriving in the city.

"The rest of the universe just doesn't know about it," says novelist Lisa Zeidner, a Rutgers English professor who founded the program. "Our longtime struggle is to get people to come to Camden."

Set for April 9, with a related program, a reading by former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky, on April 10, the free conference will feature 11 workshops led by noted novelists, poets, essayists and screenwriters. About 200 to 300 people are expected to attend, among them John and Adele Bourne, married poets who live in Moorestown.

"It gives you affirmation," says John Bourne, a 71-year-old retired technical writer who has been penning poetry for nearly 40 years. "You can get a sense of being on the right track."

Likewise for Bruce Niedt, a 53-year-old poet from Cherry Hill.

"It's a great experience," says Niedt, who works at the Social Security Administration office in the township. "I get a lot of feedback from fellow poets. And there's a lot of networking going on."

South Jersey is not generally regarded as a literary mecca, Camden's Walt Whitman connection notwithstanding. But demand for the workshops is intense.

"People seem hungry for it," says Kathy Volk Miller, an assistant English instructor at Rutgers and one of the conference organizers.

Volk Miller of Collingswood also is spearheading the effort to establish a Writers' House (similar to the Kelly Writers' House at the University of Pennsylvania) at 421 Cooper St. on the campus. The Pinsky reading will be a fund-raiser to help renovate the property, which is currently a "shell," she said.

"Writers need feedback," Volk Miller observed. "Often, they're writing in a vacuum. They need an audience."

Novelists Gary Krist and Gish Jen, poets Terrance Hayes and Joseph Meredith, screenwriter Guy Gallo and essayist Robert Huber will be among the writers leading workshops. Jen and Hayes also will read from their work.

"This is a conference where writers who haven't published can get treated respectfully," says Zeidner, a Haddonfield resident who's working on her fifth novel. "And there are a lot of writers in South Jersey."

Besides offering critiques and encouragement (not to mention networking opportunities) for nonprofessional writers, the conference also has a goal of "building an audience for really good writing," Zeidner says.

IF YOU GO