A swarm of authors and illustrators is getting ready to descend upon Chapel Hill for a four-day discussion of books, stories and art.
Today marks the beginning of the North Carolina Literary Festival, which is hosted by local university library systems and is free and open to the public. Luminary wordsmiths such as John Grisham, Anna Deavere Smith, R.L. Stine, Wells Tower and over 100 more literary figure will be discussing literature and its role in society, as well as leading workshops and delivering lectures for festival attendees.
A swarm of authors and illustrators are getting ready to descend upon Chapel Hill for a four-day discussion of books, stories and art.
Today marks the beginning of the North Carolina Literary Festival, which is hosted by local university library systems and is free and open to the public. Luminary wordsmiths such as John Grisham, Anna Deavere Smith, R.L. Stine, Wells Tower and over 100 more literary figure will be discussing literature and its role in society, as well as leading workshops and delivering lectures for festival attendees.
The festival began in 1998 as an effort of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library System. Organizers then decided to make it a biennial event, and the festival partnered with the Duke, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Central University libraries. If all had gone according to plan, a festival would have occurred last year. Due to financial constraints, however, the program was re-evaluated. The future looked grim for the festival, but this year, there was resounding response to keep the showcase.
“I think at that time, they were just looking at the budget.” said Amy Baldwin, the director of the event. “As long as we have a community that wants to support reading and writing, I think the need will be there for a festival.”
The festival affords a unique setting for readers to encounter their favorite writers in a relaxed atmosphere. Although many events will be indoors, attendees can mingle with some authors at smaller outdoor venues.
“It’s a rare opportunity to gather so many authors, to talk with them and learn about their novels,” Baldwin said.
When Baldwin needed someone to create an illustration to convey the feeling of the festival, she turned to someone within the North Carolina community: acclaimed author Daniel Wallace. In addition to writing novels such as Big Fish, Wallace also does illustrations that he describes as “something a really talented eight year old would do.”
His illustration is positioned prominently on the festival Web site, adding a dash of whimsy and discounting any perception of books as overly serious. In addition to his illustrations, Wallace is also contributing his literary knowledge at two Saturday sessions. The sessions will deal with issues such as the transformation of literature into other media such as film—a topic Wallace is familiar with given Tim Burton’s 2003 adaptation of his aforementioned novel.
Former Duke Law student and newly published author Carrie Ryan will do a session at the festival called Zombie Land. Ryan’s book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, is set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. She will discuss how her fanciful world evolved in her Saturday festival session.
“I’m going to be interested to see how it goes,” Ryan said. “Most of my talks have been to people who have read the book, and this is a little different because I’m not sure how many people will have read it.”
Ryan’s participation in the local festival is particularly fitting, as a North Carolina-inspired forest is the backdrop of her post-apocalyptic book. And though her book focuses on the macabre, she is more optimistic, broadcasting enthusiasm for the festival.
“I’m hoping it’s relaxed, and you can run into anybody and talk to them,” she said. “I would hope it’s the kind of place where writers can talk to readers and other writers anytime. I think it’s really wonderful that people are investing so much in books and the love of books.”
The North Carolina Literary Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 13 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information, go to ncliteraryfestival.org
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