Please join me on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the John Henry Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX for the New Fiction Confab.
This exciting event features several of the most notable authors who published new work in 2015 and 2016. They’ll lead writing workshops, read their work, and engage in conversations in Austin libraries. Don’t miss this chance to discuss contemporary fiction with the authors shaping America’s literary landscape!
This year’s Confab authors are Kaitlyn Greenidge (“We Love You, Charlie Freeman”), Karan Majahan (“The Association of Small Bombs”), Karen Olsson (“All the Houses”), Alexander Chee (“The Queen of the Night”), Samantha Hunt (“Mr. Splitfoot”), Kirk Lynn (“Rules for Werewolves”), Virginia Reeves (“Work Like Any Other”), and Sunil Yapa (“The Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist”).
The day begins with creative writing workshops from 10:30 a.m. to noon in various library branches:
- Workshop for Kids (grades 3-5) with Samantha Hunt at Twin Oaks Branch Library / RSVP here
- Workshop for Teens (grades 6-12) with Kaitlyn Greenidge at Windsor Park Branch Library / RSVP here
- Workshop for Adults with Alexander Chee at Ruiz Branch Library / RSVP here
- Workshop for Older Adults with Sunil Yapa at Yarborough Branch Library / RSVP here
The afternoon features readings and conversations. I’ll be moderating the first one, which features Kaitlyn Greenidge and Virginia Reeves. Read my Kirkus Reviews interview with Kaitlyn here for a preview of her compelling debut novel. All of the sessions are free, open to the public and followed by book sales and signings.
- 2:00-2:45 p.m. | Kaitlyn Greenidge and Virginia Reeves | Moderator: Maya Payne Smart is a writer, book reviewer, and Library Foundation board member.
- 3:00-3:45 p.m. | Kirk Lynn, Karan Mahajan, and Sunil Yapa | Moderator: Deb Olin Unferth is the author of Minor Robberies, Vacation, Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War, and teaches in the University of Texas New Writers’ Project and Michener Center.
- 4:00-4:45 p.m. | Alexander Chee, Samantha Hunt, and Karen Olsson | Moderator: Michael Noll is editor of “Read to Write Stories” and a lecturer at Texas State University.
The Austin Lit Fair will also run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., giving readers a chance to meet and learn more about Austin-based publishers and literary magazines, including A Strange Object, American Short Fiction, The Austin Review, Bat City Review, fields magazine, Texas Writers’ League, Typewriter Rodeo and The Writing Barn.
For more details, visit the event site. I hope to see you there!
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