April 12 – 15

The Arkansas Literary Festival, the premier gathering of readers and writers in Arkansas, has expanded to include more than 95 presenters in many locations on both sides of the river from April 12-15, 2012. The Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library campus and other venues in the River Market and Argenta Arts districts are the sites for a stimulating mix of sessions, panels, special events, performances, workshops, presentations, opportunities to meet authors, book sales, and book signings. Most events are free and open to the public.

Festival authors include New York Times columnist Jason Zinoman, Bryan Borland, Kevin Brockmeier, Frank Thurmond, Roy Blount Jr., Diana Southwood Kennedy, George Dohrmann, Deborah Crombie, Trent Stewart, Mary Monroe, Justin Torres, Greil Marcus, and more. Festival authors include winners of such awards as the Pulitzer Prize, World Fantasy Award, James Beard Foundation Award for Cookbook of the Year, Critics Choice Award for Best Family Film, American Book Award, The Heartland Prize, Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism; Thomas Wolfe Award; National Association of Black Journalists Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, and a regional Emmy. One author was decorated with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor given to foreigners by the Mexican Government; another was inducted into the French Legion of Honor, the highest honor bestowed on a French citizen. Many of the presenters’ works have been translated into multiple languages, optioned for television, and made into feature films.

Special events during the Festival include a cocktail reception with the authors, a book fiesta for children, cooking workshops, two films, and a street fair featuring area musicians. Panels and workshops will feature topics such as graphic novels, poetry, memoirs, romance, craft activism, electronic books and publishing trends, magazine editing, and pencil sharpening. Children’s special events include a storytime on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion, a reading of a children’s story with illustrations and musical accompaniment at the Clinton Presidential Center, two plays, a magic show, a puppet show, and a concert by the Kinders.

Through the Writers In The Schools (WITS) initiative, the Festival will provide presentations by 17 authors for Pulaski county elementary, middle, and senior high schools and area colleges.

Author! Author!, a cocktail reception with the authors, will be Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $25 in advance, and $40 at the door. Cooking workshop tickets are $20. All tickets go on sale at http://www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org beginning Thursday, March 1. Author! Author! tickets will also be available for purchase at all Central Arkansas Library System branches. All other Festival events are free and open to the public.

The Arkansas Literary Festival’s mission is to encourage the development of a more literate populace. A group of dedicated volunteers assists Festival Coordinator Brad Mooy with planning the Festival. Jay Jennings is the 2012 Festival Chair, with Laura Stanley serving as the Vice Chair. Other committee chairs include Katherine Whitworth, Talent Committee; Lisa Donovan & Darcy Pattison, Youth Programs; Martha Perry, Finance; and Amy Bradley-Hole, Moderators.