Nearly 100 notable authors across multiple genres are set for the Southern Festival of Books: An Online Celebration of the Written Word. Set for Nashville in October, this is the first time the event has been held virtually in its 32-year history. The festival has transitioned to an online format as a safety precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to organizers with Humanities Tennessee.
Tim Henderson, executive director of the organization, said people taking part in the online edition “will receive the same great author interviews, conversations and readings that they have come to know from the festival, but they will do so in community with others around Tennessee and the globe.”
The virtual festival also will feature some of the state’s literary heritage sites, historic libraries and natural areas.
Headliners announced to date are:
* Julia Alvarez, who has written novels, collections of poems and several books for young readers. She is the recipient of the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards for her books for young readers, the Hispanic Heritage Award and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award. In 2013, she received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama.