Inaugural LitFest runs through June 18
Beacon. The two-day event will include literary conversation, performances and guest author appearances.
| 13 Jun 2023 | 06:04
The Beacon LitFest Committee and the Howland Cultural Center (HCC) will hold the inaugural Beacon LitFest on June 17 and 18.
June 17 will feature an all-day program of exceptional writers, poets, and playwrights and include provocative literary conversation, staged performances, and guest appearances by NYT and NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz and accomplished actor and producer Emily Mortimer.
The main program runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a midday lunch break.
A book-signing, first-edition book gifts, and cocktail hour will follow. The book signing will include a free first edition copy of Trussoni’s “The Puzzle Master” with any book purchase, and a cocktail reception will follow Saturday’s activities to allow writers and audience members to mingle.
On June 18, at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m., there will be consecutive live writing and storytelling intensives, limited to 10 participants each. The workshops, “Live Writing-A Poetry Project” with poet and curator Ruth Danon; “Is It Memoir? Is It Fiction?” with journalist and memoirist Ken Foster; and “From Stage to Page: Adding Drama to Narrative” with Dramaturg, writer and producer, Shane Bly Killoran.
“Our plan with this festival is to highlight Beacon’s growing literary community and expose audiences to fresh and thought-provoking work,” said Dr. Hannah Brooks, LitFest co-producer and Howland board member.
Lead-in LitFest programs have included sold out presentations of “The Vagina Monologues” staged in collaboration with Hit House Creative on March 11 and May 19, and the April 19 “Hudson Valley Poets Present” produced with Live-Writing: A Project for Poetry.
Howland Cultural Center and BLF support diverse voices in panelists and audiences and are committed to inclusivity and access to cultural participation. American Sign Language translation is being provided for the main program and a percentage of tickets and workshop seats to community members of limited means.
The Howland Cultural Center is located at HCC 477 Main St. in Beacon. Tickets for the events are available to the public at howlandculturalcenter.org or at the door.
