Seventh annual Literary Homecoming will feature North Carolina authors

GREENVILLE, NC  —   East Carolina University will celebrate the region’s literary traditions Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18, with the Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming at Joyner Library. The annual event will offer interactive workshops and panel presentations.

This year’s theme, “Contrasting Cultural Expressions: Perceptions of Place and Self,” explores the impact of shared values and traditions on the perceptions of self and one’s place in the larger world context, organizers said. Artists from Eastern North Carolina will interact with artists influenced by other regions to explore differences and how they capture the culture of their regions in their work.

For seven years, the Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming has been nourishing and revitalizing the creative spirit for writers as the event provides a place where artists and community members can interact and share ideas. The works represented by the award-winning authors encompass a variety of genres including poetry, fiction, historical nonfiction, and drama and how they tie into Eastern North Carolina culture.

This year, the Literary Homecoming will kick off with the presentation of the Roberts Award for Literary Inspiration to Nancy Olson for her work as the owner of Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh and her dedication to promoting and supporting local artists. The presentation to Olson will include tributes from and readings by North Carolina writers Jill McCorkle and Michael Malone.

On Saturday, panel discussions and small interactive workshops with authors should encourage in-depth discussion regarding process and inspiration. Attendees can speak with panelists about the issues raised during the sessions and meet with authors during book signings.

“The Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming provides an extraordinary opportunity for the ECU family and area residents to meet regional authors ‘up close and personal,’” said Dr. Larry Boyer, dean of Academic Library and Learning Resources.  “You can hear them talk about their work, the writing process, and their careers in a very comfortable setting. I know of no other literary or book festival that gives the participants such an intimate view into the lives of working authors and poets. No book lover should miss it.”

A luncheon with guest speaker Pamela Duncan, author of “Moon Women,” “The Big Beautiful” and “Plant Life,” will be held on Saturday. A native of Asheville, Duncan teaches creative writing at Western Carolina University.

Award-winning author Josephine Humphreys will deliver the keynote address at 5:15 p.m. Saturday. Her first three novels were mainly about contemporary family life in the South, but her fourth work, “Nowhere Else on Earth,” is a historical novel based on a true story from the Civil War. The novel includes historical events and characters relating to the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina and won the Southern Book Award for 2001.

Other presenters include ECU alumna Margaret O’Connor, director of photography for The New York Times when the paper won the 2002 Pulitzer Prizes for Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography, who will present “Recording the Moment When Cultures Clash” and poet Michael White, who teaches creative writing and poetry at the University of North Carolina–Wilmington, who will present a workshop on writing poetry.

All events, except for Saturday author’s luncheon ($15), are free and open to the public. Visit www.ecu.edu/lithomecoming, call 328-6514, or e-mail lithomecoming@ecu.edu for more information.