Scott Meyer Award presentation tops 8th annual Literary Festival
The presentation of the first annual Scott Meyer Award will highlight the eighth annual Millbrook Literary Festival, set for Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Village of Millbrook.
Panel discussions, presentations, readings, and book signings by over 75 adult, young adult, and children’s authors and illustrators are set for the Festival. A full listing of panels and discussions is available at http://millbrookliteraryfestival.org/2016-festival.
Meyer, the founder of the Festival who passed away last year, loved to encourage reading and writing of every kind. In honor of his work and passion, the Millbrook Literary Festival will present an annual award for a different genre each year to a Hudson/Harlem Valley writer.
This year, the Festival committee will award $200 for an unpublished short story for adults or young adults. The winning story will be selected from among finalists by award-winning author Valerie Martin. The winner will be interviewed and featured in Living Millbrook Magazine and the Northern Dutchess News. Two runners-up will each receive $25 gift cards to Merritt Books.
Three finalists have just been selected from among with many entries received. The Festival congratulates Hudson Valley residents Ray Fashona, Laurie Treacy, and Anna Geraldine Paret on being chosen. The first place winner will be announced at the Festival.
Every year the Festival features nationally recognized authors and promotes talented local and regional writers, with panels that are accessible and interesting to all ages. This year’s list of nationally recognized authors includes Lauren Belfer, Gail Carson Levine, Jim DeFelice, Mark Siegel, Barbara Slate, Karen Kaufman Orloff and Iza Trapani. The festival will also introduce up-and-coming authors, such as Owen King, the graphic novelist son of Stephen King. For a complete listing of authors, see the Festival website at millbrookliteraryfestival.org.
Along with encouraging a love of reading, the Festival also seeks to promote the craft of writing. Each year we offer the Young Writers Showcase which gives children and teens the opportunity to submit their work to be published in the annual booklet in addition to reading their work at the Festival and being eligible for prizes.
This year, a special writing workshop for teens will be led by young adult author Julie Chibbaro. A panel discussion suitable for writers of all ages will follow with award-winning young adult and middle-grade authors discussing the paths they took to get their work published. Newbery medal honoree Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted) is among the accomplished authors who will be offering their insight.
In addition, there will be a discussion for adults about the many writers’ groups that exist in the Hudson Valley. Members of The Beacon Writers’ Group, The East Fishkill Women’s Writers Group, The Hudson Valley Writing Workshop, and the Wild Plum Writers’ Group will discuss how their organizations function and their value to an author. Aspiring writers may want to attend and consider whether joining one of these groups would benefit them.
For those who fancy themselves more of a reader than a writer, the day will end with a discussion of the meaning of the word “literary.” It is well-known that learning to play music develops cognitive abilities, especially those that help scientists and mathematicians. It is also true that reading literary writing helps develop critical thinking skills. This panel will explore the question, What is “literary” writing? And how does it help us think? “Literary” can be applied to fiction, journalism, and non-fiction and in the most general sense, it describes writing that is stylized or poetic, that connotes more than it denotes; often a “literary” work refers to other works of literature; and sometimes a “literary” work may be challenging, designed to get readers to think about the topic from a new perspective. Novelist and philosopher of science V.N. Alexander will lead authors Michael Joyce, Joseph Luzzi, and Ashley Mayne in a discussion of this fascinating topic.
Whether you are a reader or a writer, a child or an adult, the 2016 Millbrook Literary Festival promises to provide something to enrich your life.
Website: http://www.millbrookliteraryfestival.org or http://www.facebook.com/MillbrookLitFest
