Literary Festival

Honoring the Literature of Appalachia—The 41st Annual Literary Festival featuring documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon will be held on September 20-21, 2023.

The Emory & Henry Literary Festival began in 1982 with a program devoted to Sherwood Anderson, who spent the final 15 years of his life in nearby Smyth County, Virginia. Since that inaugural occasion, the festival has honored a living writer with strong ties to the Appalachian region.

Each year the Emory & Henry Literary Festival celebrates an outstanding writer with ties to Appalachia. The designated writer participates in the festival, which includes papers by visiting scholars, and meets with students in various forums.

The 41st annual Literary Festival will be held on September 20-21, 2023.

See event details here

Among the authors featured at past festivals are Jesse Graves, Crystal Wilkinson, Fred Chappell, Lee Smith, Maggie Anderson, Ron Rash, Jo Carson, and Emory & Henry alum Mike Chitwood.