The Sigma Tau Delta 2025 Convention will be held March 19 – 22, 2025, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown in Pittsburgh, PA. Every spring, Sigma Tau Delta holds its annual convention, a unique event that allows hundreds of members and Chapter Advisors from around the United States and beyond to gather in one locale, share experiences and expertise, be recognized for their achievements, and participate in the official proceedings of the Society. The convention also provides opportunities to discover new ideas in English and English-related disciplines, while interacting with speakers, presenters, and texts that members might not otherwise encounter.
Convention Theme
The Sigma Tau Delta convention returns to Pittsburgh in 2025 and features exciting keynote speakers, our Common Reader When My Brother Was an Aztec, by Natalie Diaz, and Willa Cather as the Spotlight Author. Cather spent over ten years living and working in Pittsburgh, but she has additional ties to many Sigma Tau Delta regions. Cather’s connection to various places influenced our adoption of her Pulitzer Prize winning novel’s title for our 2025 Convention theme: One of Ours.
So what does it mean to be “one of ours?” This phrase evokes belonging and community and membership, all of which reflect the values and mission of Sigma Tau Delta.
Spotlight Author
In an essay on the Great War’s impact on Virginia Woolf and Willa Cather, Josephine O’Brien Schaefer mentions that, for Cather, “stories have to be told, songs to be sung, poems to be written before a country’s spirit can be kindled.” The fact that Cather lived in so many places across the US—from Virginia to Nebraska, from Pittsburgh to New York City, and from Santa Fe back to Nebraska—secures her position as a writer of place. The 2025 Sigma Tau Delta Convention marks a return to Pittsburgh as its host city. Not surprisingly, conversations about our Spotlight Author kept circling back to Willa Cather, not only because of her time as a resident but also because so many different regions in our Society might “claim” her.
Cather’s work also inspired our selection of the convention theme One of Ours.
Sigma Tau Delta Centennial
The Convention Co-Chairs chose Willa Cather as an author to spotlight this year. We encourage chapters to celebrate Cather’s work in the locations where she lived, in the places where you live, and in her various novels, short stories, and other writings that we can access. But this year our celebration of Sigma Tau Delta’s Centennial also continues, culminating at the 2025 Pittsburgh Convention. The 2025 Convention will be a good time to reflect on the changes in literature, culture, and higher education over these decades and to consider the many ways that the theme One of Ours can apply to each of us.
Common Reader
Sigma Tau Delta’s Convention Committee and 2025 Convention Co-Chairs are pleased to announce the Common Reader is Natalie Diaz’s When My Brother Was an Aztec. This collection of heartbreaking, humorous, beautiful, and informed poetry often shines a light on difficult themes of addiction and cultural identity. But the author’s voice draws attention from the mere details of daily life. Instead, with her skillful crafting and classical references, Diaz makes us aware of the power of poetry to make us feel in awe of words and of their arrangement on the page. From the romantic and sensual “Monday Aubade” to the painful beauty of “A Brother Named Gethsemane,” Diaz reminds us that every lived moment is both lovely and haunting. And in spite of the humor present in “Hand-Me-Down Halloween,” we are left dealing with the need for social justice and cultural equality.
Submissions
Submissions for the 2025 Convention will be open September 30 – October 30, 2024, 11:00 p.m CT. What can you submit?
Students
Eligible students include: Sigma Tau Delta active members in good standing, Sigma Kappa Delta members, and Transfer Students as Provisional Members of Sigma Tau Delta.
- one (1) paper in any of these categories: original critical essay, creative nonfiction, poetry collection, original prose (short story, flash fiction, drama, or screenplay);
- one (1) additional paper submission on the Common Reader: When My Brother Was an Aztec, by Natalie Diaz;
- one (1) additional submission for a roundtable presentation session; and
- one (1) additional submission for a Research in the Round table host.
Alumni Members
Alumni members are members of Sigma Tau Delta who have an undergraduate degree and are not currently pursuing an advanced degree in English or a related field at a school with an active Sigma Tau Delta chapter.
- one (1) paper in any of these categories: original critical essay, creative nonfiction, poetry collection, original prose (short story, flash fiction, drama, or screenplay);
- one (1) additional paper submission on the Common Reader: When My Brother Was an Aztec, by Natalie Diaz; and
- one (1) additional submission for a roundtable presentation session.
Faculty Members
Roundtables are the only type of presentation works faculty members may submit.
Check out our Hints for a Successful Paper Submission to help you submit your very best work.
Convention Registration
Everyone attending the convention, including presenters and roundtable participants, must register for the convention. Convention registration will open on Monday, January 6, 2025.
Fundraising
While fundraising is a necessary activity for almost every Sigma Tu Delta chapter—and although attending convention may not be the only (or even primary) use of your fundraising energies—the opportunity to attend and present at the convention can generate renewed enthusiasm and creativity for fundraising. Attendees also return home with exciting new ideas and resources for projects and activities that will bring in money for your chapter next year.
Visit the Funding page of the convention website for suggestions from our Student Leaders and convention planners for obtaining funding for convention travel.
Advertising
Our convention provides exclusive opportunity to connect with high-achieving English students from across the globe.
The Sigma Tau Delta annual convention is the largest discipline-specific gathering for those passionate about the English language, literature, and writing. Over the course of an exhilarating four-day event, attendees present their original works and share their enthusiasm with like-minded peers.
Many are searching for graduate and post-graduate opportunities or support for their future careers in a range of fields, making this the perfect chance to engage with the leaders of tomorrow.
Benefits of sponsoring the Sigma Tau Delta convention include:
- Targeted email campaigns that reach over 15,000 student members and 1,400 Faculty Advisors across more than 770 college and university chapters worldwide.
- High-Traffic website exposure allows you to showcase your organization on englishconvention.org, visited by over 16,000 unique users annually.
- Mobile App presence featuring your ads on our English Convention app, connecting with thousands of attendees before, during, and after the event.
- Convention Program advertisements guarantee your presence in the comprehensive, downloadable PDF program available to all student and faculty attendees.
- Tabletop Displays allow you to engage with attendees directly and share physical promotional materials.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to reach and inspire the next generation of English scholars, educators, and leaders!
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