WRIteRs & ReADeRs UnIte At the VIRgInIA hIghlAnDs FestIVAl

By Carolyn Wilson

Alove of reading and writing will bring people together when the 2023 Virginia Highlands Festival celebrates its Writers & Readers Days with an expanded two-day schedule on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29.

Workshops and 90-minute sessions are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Executive Auditorium of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m.

The annual event isn’t just about the authors. It’s about the readers, too.

“Literature is a circle of communication, and readers are the integral completion of that circle,” said Greg Lilly, co-chair of the event.

“Writers work to communicate and you have to bring the audience into that circle, otherwise, you’re just writing for yourself.”

This year, an exciting line-up of three-hour immersive workshops on Friday will give readers, aspiring writers, and seasoned authors an opportunity to become immersed in new genres of writing.

Friday

Songwriting – Mary Munsey Introduction to Songwriting

for writing a song, such as finding a message and a tune that fits the mood. Participants will discuss favorite songs and why they like them before choosing writing prompts.

Playwriting – Rick Rose Writing for the Stage: The Fundamentals and Complexities

Richard Rose, former producing artistic director of Barter Theatre, will outline how to write, explore, share, and learn about the various fundamentals and complexities about writing plays for the theater.

“Sometimes people write a short story or book and think this would be great to see on stage,” said Lilly. “Richard will walk through what’s involved in taking an idea and getting it on stage.”

The workshop will include discussion and exercises in writing for the stage, introduction to the major components of writing for the stage; emphasis on dramatic action, character development and dialogue; familiarize tools and techniques of playwriting; and inspiring imagination and creativity to help find your voice as a playwright. Bring writing supplies and be prepared to share.

Storytelling – Hannah Harvey Do Tell! – Intergenerational Storytelling

Hannah Harvey will lead an interactive workshop designed to help community members tell their stories across generations.

“It’s a great way to pass along the tradition of storytelling between generations because we really don’t do that much anymore,” said Lilly.

First, participants will learn why storytelling is important and how it shapes our perceptions of who we are. An Appalachian oral history story will be performed by the leader.

Participants will try out different storytelling techniques and models, which may include: storyboarding, rites of passage, the “Hero’s Journey”, visualization, characterization, and perspectives.

Working with partners, participants will focus on conversational story-building, practicing what they’ve learned.

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Poetry – Felicia Mitchell Creating Poetry from a Symbolic Memory Jug

Conducted by local author, Felicia Mitchell, this workshop addresses the poetic tradition of the “objective correlative,” T.S. Eliot’s idea that the best way to talk about a memory or feeling is to connect it with an object, events, or a particular story.

Participants will use the African American tradition of the memory jug concept to explore how personal symbols can create a collage of values, objects, and memories.

Students will leave the workshop with a draft of a poem or even a completed poem.

Historical Details – Jo Allison History in Service of the Story: Realistic Worldbuilding

Jo Allison will explore the ways history can bring stories to immediate life.

Worldbuilding is the part of the writing process that establishes where a story takes place, the landscape where characters will inhabit, and the tone of the story.

Using their own historical interests, participants will examine the difference between big history and little history, offer suggestions on research, examine the difficult questions of sensitivity and the use of real people, and more.

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On Saturday, several presenters will conduct 90-minute sessions addressing a variety of topics. Those presenters are Janie Hull, children’s literature; Rick Van Noy, fiction and non-fiction; Bekah Harris, young adult; Karen Spears Zacharias, non-fiction and fiction; Sally Jones, book clubs; and George Ella Lyon, poetry.

George Ella Lyon writes in many genres for readers of all ages.

A native of Harlan County, Kentucky, Lyon is an Al Smith Fellowship recipient and a recent inductee into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.

Among her books are With a Hammer for My Heart: A Novel ; Don’t You Remember? A Memoir ; Many-Storied House:

Poems ; and Voices of Justice: Poems About People Working for a Better World

Recent picture books include Trains Run! written with her son Benn Lyon, and Time to Fly. Her eighth poetry collection, Back to the Light, came out in 2021 from the University Press of Kentucky and was a runner-up for the Weatherford Award.

Her books have been chosen for the Appalachian Book of the Year award, the Aesop Prize, American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award, the Jane Addams Honor Book, the Golden Kite Award, the New York Public Library’s Best Book for Teens list, and the Parents’ Choice Silver Medal.

On-site registration for Writers & Readers Day will be offered from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Executive Auditorium of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center on the days of the events, Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29.

For advance registration (which includes a Zoom option) and to learn more about Writers & Readers Day, visit online at www.vahighlandsfestival.com/ writers-and-readers-day.