2014 NC Writers' Network Fall Conference

We enjoyed ourselves at the NC Writers' Network Fall Conference 2014.  The conference was held in Charlotte this year and featured accomplished faculty and professionals speaking about a variety of topics.  Classes and workshops covered tips and techniques for writing for a wide range of literary genres.  The conference also included critiquing sessions, book sales, panel discussions, and much more.  We're already looking forward to next year's conference!

WCPL Annual Booksale, December 11-14, 2014

Wake County Public Libraries will host its annual 2014 Booksale & Festival of Reading, December 11 through 14 this year. 

http://www.newraleigh.com/images/made/images/articles/wake-county-library-logo_300_172_80.jpg

The Booksale and Festival of Reading will be held in the Jim Graham Building at the NC State Fairgrounds and will feature over 350,000 books, as well as drive-up service!

http://www.reginalibrary.ca/blogs/media/blogs/mystery/2011mystery/booksale.jpg

For more details, including a full schedule of events, information about pricing, and the opportunity to volunteer, please visit the WCPL website. 

Share Your Lesson Plans With Us!

Did you know that you can share your lesson plans, as well as work that your students have done, with the North Carolina Literary Map?  You can see samples of other lesson plans here.  Just e-mail your materials to us at nclitmap@uncg.edu.  We look forward to learning with you! 

http://wahooschools.org/

Four North Carolina Poets Join the Literary Hall of Fame!

The North Carolina Literary Map had a great time on Sunday at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in Southern Pines, NC.  Four North Carolina poets, Betty Adcock, Ronald H. Bayes, Jaki Shelton Green, and Shelby Stephenson, were inducted into the Literary Hall of Fame at the ceremony.  Congratulations to the 2014 inductees!  You can learn more about the ceremony here.  

2014 Induction Ceremony

North Carolina Literary Map table

Betty Adcock

Writers & Illustrators of North Carolina (WINC)

Writers & Illustrators of North Carolina (WINC) is a professional organization of creators of children's books.  A wonderful site for those interested in children's literature, WINC offers a variety of resources to its users, including helpful links to other websites about children's books.  Check out WINC for news and events, to order books, to arrange visits, to learn about NC children's authors and illustrators, and more!

http://www.wincbooks.com/

Poetry Reading by David Roderick

UNCG Associate Professor David Roderick will read from his new book, The Americans, on Thursday, September 9 in the Faculty Center on UNCG's campus.  The event begins at 8:00 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the MFA Writing Program, the Friends of the UNCG Libraries, and the Greensboro Review.

http://library.uncg.edu/info/events_and_awards/recognition/2013/david_roderick.aspx

On the Same Page Literary Festival to take place Sept. 16-20, 2014

Ashe County's Literary Festival will take place from September 16th to 20th this year and will include an engaging array of events on each day, including the ever-popular Book Fair on the 19th.  For a full schedule of events, a lineup of authors, and information about reserving a space, please visit the Festival's website at http://www.onthesamepagefestival.org/sample-page/schedule/.

http://www.hcpress.com/upcoming-events/on-the-same-page-festival-writers-competition-winners-announced-festival-reading-scheduled.html

North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame Announces 2014 Inductees

On Sunday, October 12, the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame will honor four poets, Betty Adcock, Ronald H. Bayes, Jaki Shelton Green, and Shelby Stephenson. They will be honored in a ceremony at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in Southern Pines, NC, and will join the fifty-three existing inductees.

http://www.ncwriters.org/2014-01-07-18-35-09/network-news/5792-announcing-the-2014-north-carolina-literary-hall-of-fame-inductees

The North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame celebrates and promotes the state’s rich literary heritage by commemorating its leading authors and encouraging the continued flourishing of great literature. Inductions are held every other year. A list of inductees, as well as samples of their work and video clips of past inductions, can be found online at www.nclhof.org.

North Carolina Literary and Historical Association Annual Awards Competitions deadline -- July 15th!

http://www.ncdcr.gov/litandhist/Awards.aspx

The North Carolina Literary and Historical Association annually conducts awards competitions for North Carolina authors, and the deadline is coming right up, on July 15th!

Awards include The Ragan Old North State Award Cup for Nonfiction, The Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry, The Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, The American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature, The Hardee Rives Award for Dramatic Arts, The Mary Ruffin Poole Award for First Work of Fiction, and more.

For more information and application requirements, see the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources website: http://www.ncdcr.gov/litandhist/Awards.aspx

Local authors and foodies celebrate new book in Asheville, June 14

Asheville-based author and gardener Nan K. Chase has been gardening in Western North Carolina for over thirty years.  Writing about gardens, plants, and home food preservation (including unusual garden wines!), her works have appeared in a wide range of regional and national publications.  Ms. Chase also lectures at various seminars and events around North Carolina on related topics.  She and co-author DeNiece Guest will present their new beverage book, Drink the Harvest, at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café in Asheville on Saturday, June 14, at 7:00 p.m.  For more information, click here.

http://www.amazon.com/Drink-Harvest-Making-Preserving-Juices/dp/1612121594

Honoring Maya Angelou, 1928-2014

Yesterday, May 28th, 2014, American author, poet, and professor Maya Angelou passed away in her home in Winston-Salem, NC, at the age of 86.  In addition to writing poetry, a series of autobiographies, children's literature, and essays, Dr. Angelou was an actress and singer in her earlier life, recording her first album, Miss Calypso, in 1957.  She served as the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University for many years and won the North Carolina Award for Literature in 1987 and was inducted into the North Carolina Literary Map of Fame in 2012.  Check out Maya Angelou's author page on the NC Literary Map here.

Photo taken from http://www.emergingwomen.com/2014/05/loving-memory-dr-maya-angelou-1928-2014/

National Short Story Month

May is National Short Story Month!  To help celebrate, check out the Lit Map's unique "Search by Genre" option.  You can select "Anthology & Short Story Fiction" to see 96 short story collections by North Carolina authors.  Selections include:

Cakewalk by Lee Smith
Chemistry and Other Stories by Ron Rash
The Geographical Cure by Michael Parker
Parlous Angels by Ed Southern
Shoveling Smoke by Margaret Maron


More information on Short Story Month can be found here.

NC Lit Map Twitter

Did you know that the North Carolina Literary Map has a Twitter account? We recently relaunched our Twitter page, so check out the new design! You can follow us at @NCLiteraryMap.

We tweet information about upcoming events, interesting content from North Carolina authors, and anything related to the NC literary community.

Great Book Caper Reading Festival

One of the best things about working for the North Carolina Literary Map is the chance to meet people throughout the state and attend great events like the Great Book Caper Reading Festival earlier this month. Held in Salisbury, NC, this festival is put on through a cooperative effort between Rowan-Salisbury Schools and Rowan Public Library.  It featured scavenger hunts and clues for kids, as well as a great selection of local authors and books.  The NC Lit Map talked with local book enthusiasts and had a great time!

Serena Book Talk

The Friends of the UNCG Libraries will be discussing Serena by North Carolina author Ron Rash today at 4:00 pm.  Held in the Hodges Reading Room in Jackson Library, the discussion will be led by UNCG English professor Dr. Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater.  You can register for the event here.

Want more information on Ron Rash? Check out his Lit Map entry here!

NC Writers' Network Conference Success

The North Carolina Literary Map had a great time on Saturday at the NC Writers' Network Conference.  We set up a table in the MHRA building on UNCG's campus and met with authors, publishers, and aspiring writers.  We also had some great author submissions that we'll be entering into the Lit Map this week. Thanks to all who stopped by!

Georgann Eubanks Visit

Georgann Eubanks will be speaking at UNCG on Wednesday, March 26.  Join us in the Hodges Reading Room in Jackson Library at 4:00 pm.  Author of the "Literary Trails" series, Ms. Eubanks will present "Why Are There So Many NC Writers?", a presentation about the rich literary heritage of our state.

Check out the Lit Map for more information on this author.

Terry Kennedy Poetry Reading

UNCG creative writing professor Terry Kennedy will be giving a poetry reading from his new collection New River Breakdown on Monday, March 24.  Join us at 4:00 pm in the Hodges Reading Room on the 2nd floor of Jackson Library.  Terry is currently the Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Creative Writing and is the Editor of storySouth, an online journal.

See you there!


Image from: http://mfagreensboro.org/faculty/terry-l-kennedy/

NC Writers' Network Spring Conference

The North Carolina Writers' Network will have their spring 2014 conference at UNCG.  Held April 12, 2014, the event is cohosted by the UNCG creative writing program and will feature speakers, panels, workshops, and more.  The "Lunch with an Author" event will allow participants to engage in dialogue with featured authors.

More information on this conference can be found here.

FOL Book Discussion - Goodbye to All That

Join the Friends of the Library as they discuss "Goodbye to All That," by Robert Graves. The discussion will be held in the Hodges reading room on the second floor of Jackson Library, on February 24 at 4:00pm.  

Register at http://library.uncg.edu/fol/register or email barry_miller@uncg.edu

Friends of the Library Dinner Tickets Now Available

Welcome back to the Literary Map Blog, NC book enthusiasts! The spring semester has begun and we're ready to get started on a fantastic semester. We will continue bringing you updates and information on North Carolina books and authors in 2014!

To get started, tickets for the the Friends of the UNCG Libraries dinner on March 6th are now on sale. Tickets must be ordered by February 27th. Go to the Friend's of the UNCG Libraries Blog to find out more about this event and support the UNCG Libraries.