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The 2024 Dahlonega Literary Festival (DLF) is Saturday, March 2, and offers a variety of events appealing to fans of various genres of fiction and non-fiction. Sessions start at 9 a.m. and last until approximately 6 p.m. and will be held at the Dahlonega Baptist Church, within walking distance of the historic Dahlonega square.
This year’s Headline authors are Sharyn McCrumb, Joshilyn Jackson, and Wanda Morris, all nationally acclaimed Southern authors. Also, there are 20 other Featured Authors and 15 Regional Writers (independently published) discussing their books and writing process through panels and individual presentations. Two free workshops will be presented: “Paths to Publication” by authors Kim Conrey and George Weinstein; and “Social Media for Writers,” by author Rona Simmons.
A panel on Lillian Smith, an author and early social activist on racial and gender issues, will be presented. Smith is a member of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame with roots in north Georgia. Strange Fruit (1944), was a best-seller novel and, Killers of the Dream (1949) is her best-known non-fiction book. UNG English professor D. Tanya Bennett will lead the panel.
“This is our 19th annual festival and we are delighted that Appalachian threads run through the works of many of our 2024 authors,” said Donna Gessell, chairperson of DLF. “From McCrumb’s novels to the biography of professional baseball player, Johnny Mize (a Demorest native) by Jerry Grillo.
“Other highlights, and a first for us will be a double session with Featured Authors Steve Oney and Ann Hite. Oney is the author of And the Dead Shal Rise about the murder of Mary Phagan and lynching of Leo Frank. Hite’s biography of Lucille Frank, Leo’s widow, debuts in 2024. Dot Padgett, who organized the Peanut Brigade (for Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign) and wrote a book about it, will be interviewed by former Atlanta TV newsman and author John Pruitt. (Padgett is now in her late 90s admit she still drives fast, at times.).”
A favorite tradition at DLF is “Lunch with Featured Authors.” This year’s speaker is Sharyn McCrumb, and her topic is “Grassroots Saints and Honky Tonk Heroes.”
Each Featured Author has a designated table allowing fans to join them for lunch and conversation.
All events, except lunch, are at the Dahlonega Baptist Church, 234 Hawkins St. with free parking. Lunch is at the University of North Georgia Campus, 404 Georgia Circle, Dining Room A – just a few blocks from the church. Tickets for lunch are $20 and will be available for purchase beginning in mid-February via DLF’s website. All other events are free, and no registration is required.
“Our festival has a small-town, relaxed atmosphere where everyone has a chance to interact casually. Authors and attendees tell us that is one of their favorite things about the event,” said Gessell.
Visit www.literaryfestival.org for more information on the festival. Featured Authors and Regional Writers are listed below.
Featured Authors – Matt Aiken, Ezekiel Black, Kimberly Brock, Valerie Burns, Annette Clapsaddle, Kim Conrey, Peter Farris, Jerry Grillo, Ann Hite, Meagan Lucas, Sharyn McCrumb, Chris Negron, Steve Oney, Dot Padgett, Brian Panowich, William Rawlings, Vanessa Riley, Mab Segrest, George Singleton and George Weinstein.
Regional Writers – Stephanie Briarton, Nancy Dunne, Jacqueline Jacobs, Jerilyn Johnson, Kathleen Brewer Lewis, Deborah Malone, Patricia McAlexander, Sherry Robinson, Jeffrey Shaw, Mimi Shroeder, C. Matthew Smith, Caroline Smith, Debbie Towns (aka Debbie Dee), Mark Williams and Douglas Young.