Tennessee's largest literary event, the Southern Festival of Books, will take place online and free of charge this year, according to an announcement from Humanities Tennessee.
Rather than a three-day festival, the 32nd annual event, called "A Celebration of the Written Word," will transition to virtual access Oct. 1-11 for the health and safety of attendees, authors, volunteers and partners, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said.
"We will miss being at the beautiful Nashville Public Library and on War Memorial Plaza, with all of the buzz and energy that the festival weekend brings. But the important traditions will carry on in new and exciting ways," said Serenity Gerbman, literature and language program director for Humanities Tennessee.
The opportunity to hear writers read from and discuss their works and the chance to "engage in ideas and discourse that are vital today" will continue, she said. "Writers will join us from around the country, and we will also share some sites and literary history from Tennessee," she said.
Gerbman said planners are "energized by the chance to reach audiences of all types who aren't able to visit Nashville in person but who will be able to join the festival from anywhere in the world."
Authors confirmed for this year's virtual festival include Michael Ian Black, an actor, comedian and writer; Joe Hill, who has published three novels, a collection of short stories and a comic-book series - and whose parents are authors Stephen and Tabitha King.
Also scheduled are Nikky Finney, the author of five books of poetry, including "Head Off & Split," winner of the National Book Award for Poetry; and Erik Larson, author of six New York Times best-sellers, including "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania" and "The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz."
Also, Ann Patchett, who has written seven novels, three books of nonfiction and a children's book; and Natasha Trethewey, who served two terms as the 19th poet laureate of the United States (2012-2014) and whose four collections of poetry include the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Native Guard."
The full roster of more than 100 authors, including youth programming, will be announced in July.
More information about the festival can be found at www.humanitiestennessee.org/sfb.