More than 30 award-winning writers and literary enthusiasts will share their experiences and tips on the writing profession with both veteran and emerging writers as part of the ninth annual Florida Heritage Book Festival.
To be held Thursday, Sept. 15 through Saturday, Sept. 17 at Flagler College in St. Augustine, the three-day event will include lectures on the writing craft, critique sessions and a free day-long book festival.
Highlights of the festival include:
Thursday, Sept. 15
Critique Session Workshop, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to share and receive feedback on their writing submissions from peers and this year’s session leaders, who include fiction writer Sohrab Homi Fracis, recipient of the Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Literature/Fiction and the Walter E. Dakin Fellowship in Fiction; award-winning non-fiction specialist Eric Cravey; and poet Darlyn Finch Kuhn, whose work has appeared on NPR and in literary journals, newspapers and magazines. Registration is required at fhbookfest.com.
“Stetson Kennedy Legacy: Man in the Mirror,” 7 p.m. This event will honor the centennial of the late Stetson Kennedy, American folklorist and human rights activist, with a performance by Young Minds Readers Theater of Jacksonville. The evening will also feature a conversation on Kennedy’s impact between Dr. Peggy A. Bulger, retired executive director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress; and Dr. Ben Brotemarkle, executive director of the Florida Historical Society. Funded in part by a grant from the Florida Humanities Council, the event is free and open to the public and will be held at Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 16
Writers Workshops and Keynote Luncheon, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration is required at fhbookfest.com. Workshops include:
“Creating Characters Who Stand the Test of Time” by Michael Morris
“Finding Bigfoot and Developing Scenes” – tips on the research and writing process by Joe Gisondi
“How to Let the Necessity of Plot Guide Your Writing” by John Dufresne
“Bookstores & Beyond: Marketing in the Age of Amazon” by Brad and Darlyn Kuhn
Luncheon Keynote Presentation: “My Fictional Floridians: Point of View and Narrative Shape” by Susanna Daniel
“Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer” by Roy Peter Clark
“Crafting the Character Arc” – a practical guide to creating dynamic characters by Jennie Jarvis
“From Self-Published Author to Number One National Best Seller: The Art and Craft of Writing a Mystery Novel” by Terrell Griffin
“Our American Lives: Fact/Fiction/Film and Craft” by Cecilia Milanes
“The Writing Life: Habits, Attitude, Luck and Poems” by Florida Poet Laureate Peter Meinke
“Storybrain: What Recent Discoveries in Neuroscience Mean for Fiction Writers” by John Henry Fleming
“A Good Title is Not Hard to Find” – guidelines for creating effective titles by Robin Lippincott
The Literary Legend Reception, 5 to 7 p.m. Each year the Literary Legend Reception honors a distinguished author with ties to the Sunshine State. This year’s honoree will be Elaine Lobl (E.L.) Konigsburg, the late American writer and illustrator of children’s books. The posthumous award will be accepted by her son Paul Konigsburg. Registration is required.
Saturday, Sept. 17
Florida Heritage Book Festival Presentations, 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Twenty-nine featured authors will offer free presentations showcasing Florida’s rich and diverse literary culture, while three acclaimed writers will offer two hands-on youth sessions focused on poetry and the graphic novel ($20 per youth). The Festival Marketplace will include more than 50 vendors, the St. Johns County Library Bookmobile, children’s activities and more. All activities take place in and around Flagler College’s Ringhaver Student Center, located at 50 Sevilla St., St. Augustine.
