The WCU English department will host the WCU Spring Literary Festival from April 7-10, with multiple novelists, poets, and other types of authors coming to campus to showcase their work.
Emery Eldredge, senior at WCU and the intern for the Spring Literary Festival, is excited to bring so many accomplished writers to WCU.
“We have a few people that are very accomplished,” said Eldredge.
One of the most accomplished writers coming to WCU is Daniel Wallace, an author best known for his 1998 book called the “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions.”
The book was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Tim Burton with famous actors such as Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, and Billy Crudup in the film.
“Not a lot of authors have had adaptations of their work,” said Eldredge. “I’d say this is the most publicized book of any one of the authors.”
Wallace is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9. The film adaptation of “Big Fish” will be screened on April 3 in the UC Theater at 6 and 9 p.m.
“If you aren’t as interested in reading as much as you’re interested in films, then this would be a way to interest them in the movie,” said Eldredge. “Then they’ll say, ‘wow, this is awesome, I want to meet the person who’s behind the story,’ and that will inspire them to go and see Daniel Wallace.”
But other famous authors are coming to WCU during the Spring Literary Festival.
“We also have Hanif Abdurraqib, who is a pretty famous poet and essayist,” said Eldredge. “We also have Jill McCorkle, who writes a lot of short stories and crime.”
Not only will the Spring Literary Festival have many famous authors, but it will also reveal the winners of the writing competitions on Wednesday, April 9, at noon.
The writing competitions that were held were high school competition, the “Beyond The Frame” writing competition, an undergraduate competition, and a graduate student competition.
Eldredge is excited about the Spring Literary Festival for a very different reason, though.
“There are a lot of things that I am excited about pertaining to the Literary Festival,” said Eldredge. “It’ll just be really interesting to pick their brains about what inspires them to write, and what their motivations are.”
If you are aspiring writer on April 10 at noon at the UC Theater there is a panel on how to get publish where writers, publicists, agents will share some knowledge and insides from the industry.
For more information on the Spring Literary Festival, like the schedule and to register, go to litfestival.org.
