Historic Acworth will host its first-ever book festival featuring panel discussions, writing workshops and a celebration of books and the written word, in October.
Janisse Ray, an environmental activist and writer, and award-winning author of "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood,"will be the keynote speaker at the Allatoona Book Festival, taking place Oct. 7 and 8. The event, which will be held at Roberts Community Center in Acworth, is free and open to the public. For more information go to www.acworthculturalarts.org/book-festival/
“Acworth’s Allatoona Book Festival is bringing together a great group of Georgia authors to talk about getting published, the writing process and spur discussion about great books and literature,” said Ellen Kennerly, coordinator of the Allatoona Book Festival in an e-mail. “Acworth will be a great venue for this coming together of writers and readers to talk about great books and the love of reading they all share.”
Other participants include:
— Jim Auchmutey, author of 'The Class of 1965, A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness,' which was recently included in this year's 'Books All Georgians Should Read' by Georgia Center for the Book. Auchmutey was a reporter and editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 29 years. To read an excerpt from the book, go to www.myajc.com
— Valerie Boyd, author of 'Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston' hailed by 'The Color Purple' author Alice Walker as 'magnificent' and 'extraordinary.'
— Teresa Weaver, former book critic at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta Magazine and now Development Writer for CARE. Weaver is on the advisory board for Georgia Center for the Book.
The book festival in Acworth will kick off with a reception Friday evening at 5 p.m. at the Dogwood Terrace Restaurant (4975 N. Main St. Acworth) for authors, artists and festival attendees.
Saturday will include a full day of workshops, panels and speakers starting at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast hosted by Acworth Tourism. Several local artists have created works illustrating Ray’s “Ecology of a Cracker Childhood,” commemorating the 15th anniversary of the award-winning book. Their works will be displayed at the festival venue.
Kennerly said the event is sponsored by the Acworth Cultural Arts Center and supported by the Georgia Humanities through a grant made possible through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.
EVENT 411:
Allatoona Book Festival, free and open to the public. Oct. 7 and 8, Roberts Community Center in Acworth, 4681 School St. Acworth. www.acworthculturalarts.org/book-festival/
About the Author
