13th annual Arkansas Literary Festival set for mid-April

The Central Arkansas Library System will host its 13th Annual Arkansas Literary Festival event from April 14-17 at various locations throughout Little Rock, bringing more than 80 authors and presenters over the four-day span.

Past bestselling authors to present at the Festival include Charlaine Harris, whose work was used as the basis for the HBO series True Blood; the Pioneer Woman, author Ree Drummond; acclaimed essayist David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day); controversial filmmaker John Waters (Hairspray); Congressman John Lewis; and hundreds of others.

This year’s event will present more than 65 programs and feature presenters from 23 states as well as Canada, England, Ukraine, and Singapore.

The Writers in the Schools (WITS) Initiative will be one of the standout features of this year’s festival, placing 16 writers in central Arkansas schools for the 2016-2017 school year.

WITS authors for 2016 include Alan Cumyn, Sanderia Faye, Elias Weiss Friedman, Nikki Grimes, Nathalia Holt, John H. Johnson, Harrison Scott Key, E.B. Lewis, Sonny Liew, Celeste Fletcher McHale, José Orduña, Gregory Pardlo, Mary Pilon, Janet B. Taylor, Toni Tipton-Martin, and Andy Warner.

They will visit Central High School, Episcopal Collegiate High School, Gibbs Magnet Elementary School, Hall High School, Hendrix College, Henderson State University, Joe T. Robinson High School, Otter Creek Elementary School, Little Rock Christian Academy, Mt. Saint Mary’s High School, Parkview Arts Magnet High School, Joe T. Robinson High School, Romine Elementary, Shorter College, and Wilbur Mills High School.

Additionally, the WITS Initiative provides close to 500 free books to students each year. The full schedule and lineup of presenters is now available through the Arkansas Literary Festival website.