Military Writers’ Symposium
Over three decades of exceptional military writing.
Portraying War: How Cinema Shapes Our Understanding of Conflict
Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
October 5 to 6, 2026
The only program of its kind at an American university, the Norwich University Military Writers’ Symposium convenes authors and experts in the fields of military history, intelligence, and current affairs to offer important perspectives on pressing global concerns.
Portraying War: How Cinema Shapes Our Understanding of Conflict explores the powerful role film plays in constructing how societies remember, interpret, and debate war. This symposium brings together scholars, filmmakers, veterans, and practitioners to examine how cinematic narratives—from documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters—frame heroism, trauma, ethics, and the human cost of conflict. Central to the discussion is how cinema defines the “enemy” or the “other,” revealing how visual storytelling reinforces, complicates, or challenges cultural stereotypes, moral binaries, and notions of legitimacy in war. The symposium also traces how portrayals of adversaries shift over time, reflecting changing political contexts, social values, and collective anxieties. By treating film as both art and strategic narrative, the symposium invites participants to critically assess how war on screen shapes our understanding of conflict—and those caught within it—off screen.
Meet the Authors Dinner
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Purchase your ticket to the meet the authors dinner. Tickets required.
The symposium will conclude with this not-to-be-missed dinner. Ask any former attendee, and they will tell you that this dinner is a one-of-a-kind experience. Join Norwich leadership, our special guests, alumni, and students as we eat great food, engage in exciting conversation, and make lasting connections.
Give Now
The Carlo D’Este ’58 Military Writers’ Endowment provides funding in perpetuity to support the operating costs of the Norwich University Military Writers' Symposium, the William E. Colby Award, and year-round student enrichment opportunities on military history and current affairs. It also honors the legacy of Carlo D’Este, a 1958 Norwich graduate, beloved co-founder of the Military Writers’ Symposium, decorated U.S. Army colonel and renowned military historian. Carlo passed away on November 21, 2020 at the age of 84.
Past Programs
For three decades, the Norwich Military Writers’ Symposium has brought well over 100 military writers, historians, journalists, and biographers to campus, giving NU residential and online students the opportunity to meet some of the most prominent military writers and historians of our time, and to gain a better understanding of the world through their eyes.
