posted January 8, 2008
Chattanooga Festival of Writers
Chattanooga's Arts & Education Council has announced the lineup of writers who will be featured speakers at the biennial Chattanooga Festival of Writers, to be held March 28-29. This year's Festival has grown to meet demand, after the first Chattanooga Festival of Writers sold out in 2006.
Writers speaking at the Festival include Allen Wier, novelist; Katori Hall, playwright; Randall Kenan, fiction; John Sedgwick, memoirs; Lolly Winston, fiction and essays; William Akers, screenwriter; and freelance journalists Sean Price, Nancy H. Wurst and Nancy Hatch Woodward. Ben Fountain (short stories) will give the opening keynote address.
The AEC created the Chattanooga Festival of Writers in 2006 in response to increasing requests for a literary event in the off-years of its biennial Conference on Southern Literature. "Since 1981, we have presented the AEC Conference on Southern Literature biennially, and for years we had regulars telling us that two years was too long to wait," said Susan Robinson, executive director of the AEC. "So we set out to create an event for the off years that would complement the AEC Conference."
Known for its unique partnership with the prestigious Fellowship of Southern Writers, the AEC Conference brings literary legends to Chattanooga for three days of discussions, readings, and book signings. In turn, the Festival of Writers is a smaller event that focuses on the craft of writing through a Friday night keynote address, and Saturday workshops, readings, and panel discussions.
"We call the Conference on Southern Literature a writers' conference for readers, because it's a gathering of world famous writers who are there for the readers, not just to meet with their fellow writers," said Ms. Robinson. By the same token, the Festival of Writers is designed as a series of conversations on the craft of writing that can be enjoyed by both writers and non-writers."
When AEC first presented the Festival in 2006, all 300 seats available were sold out. To expand this year's program, the Saturday workshops will extend into the afternoon and take place in a larger venue - the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Yet, Robinson says registration will still be limited in order to maintain the event's intimate setting. "We want attendees to be able to have conversations with our writers."
The Chattanooga Festival of Writers also plays a role in the AEC's school literary outreach initiatives, which include the Young Southern Student Writers competition, a professional development workshop for teachers, and the Classroom Residency program, which novelist and publisher Louis Rubin, Jr., has called "a model for communities everywhere."
"With the addition of the Festival of Writers we are bringing writers to Chattanooga every year now," said Ms. Robinson. "That means more opportunities to reach students and teachers on an annual basis."
For more information or to register, visit www.ArtsEdCouncil.org or call 423-267-1218 (toll free 1-800-267-4232).
About Arts & Education Council
Founded in 1952, the Arts & Education Council produces unique opportunities for lifelong learning and participation in the arts for all members of the community. Additional programs include AEC Culture Fest, two film series, and numerous school outreach programs.
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