Drink deep of the delights of the written word all weekend long at the Hobart Book Village’s Festival of Women Writers, where you can plunge into literature de la femme for three glorious days of immersion in the company of writers from far and wide for workshops, readings and open mic sessions. In between, savor the browsing in the Book Village's half-dozen bookstores.
Workshops presented by poets and writers will cover a wide range of topics, from screenwriting and sci-fi and memoir writing to organizing your creative life and breaking into print. Explore memoir with Mary Johnson, whose Unquenchable Thirst chronicles her twenty years of service as a nun in Mother Theresa’s order. Talk about the convergence of poetry, advocacy and activism with Elana Bell, who has earned critical acclaim for her poetry about Israel and Palestine, and Rutgers University professor Evie Shockley, an awardwinning poet and essayist on African-American literature. Contemplate speculative fiction under the guidance of Jewelle Gomez, whose vampire novel about an escaped slave, The Gilda Stories, won a double Lambda award. And that’s just a small random sampling of the company you’ll be keeping; there are over a dozen more authors participating, including Delaware County’s own poet laureate, Bertha Rogers.
Afternoon and evening readings span the literary universe, a veritable feast of authors reading from their own works. On Saturday night you’re encouraged to join your voice with theirs by signing up for the open mic at the Hobart Community Center.
Festival of Women Writers at the Hobart Book Village. Multiple venues in Hobart. Friday through Sunday, September 6 through 8. Festival runs from 4pm to 8pm Friday, 9:30am to 8:30pm Saturday, and 11am to 4:15pm Sunday. Admission $10 for those preregistering online; $12 at the door. For a full schedule, locations of readings, and more information, see the Hobart Book Village's website.
Below: An Indiegogo campaign video for the Festival of Women Writers by sisters and authors Cheryl and Breena Clarke, who organized the festival together, and will be participating.
