The 2015 Southwest Festival of the Written Word brings over fifty writers and writing professionals, who live and write in the southwest, to Silver City NM this weekend, October 2-4, to celebrate the magic of the written word. And “celebrate” is the operative word. For three days, readers and writers of all ages will visit with and listen to these award-winning authors in intimate venues throughout historic downtown Silver City.
Except for the Saturday night banquet, the more than forty Festival events are open the public free of charge. The banquet is a sit-down dinner served al fresco on the newly unveiled patio of Light Hall at Western New Mexico University. Tickets are required and are $30 each, available at Leyba and Ingalls Art Gallery, Mimbres Regional Arts Council, Yankie Creek Coffee House, and at the Festival Headquarters and Marketplace in the Murray Hotel. They can also be reserved by emailing tickets@swwordfiesta.org
Festival presenters include major award-winning writers in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, memoir, outdoor writing, science and nature/environmental writing, as well as narrative non-fiction, journalism, and history. Sessions on the publishing industry, self-publishing, editing, and how to get started with your writing are offered. The aspects of researching for spiritual writing will be discussed on Saturday morning. Two Saturday events at the Silver City Public Library feature, again, award-winning writers for children and youth. Their presentations will be followed by fun word-oriented activities for kids. And perhaps one could argue that the songwriting session on Sunday morning should be included under poetry but it is, indeed, its own genre.
On Thursday evening, October 1, the Festival Kickoff event premiers “Snapshots”, an original work created and performed by the Virus Theater of Silver City. The piece is based on the poetry of Bonnie Buckley Maldonado, Silver City’s first Poet Laureate and the dedicatee of this year’s Festival. The performance is at 7:00pm in the Webb Theater, adjacent to the Fine Arts Theater at Western New Mexico University. “Snapshots” is also scheduled in the Webb Theater on Friday October 2 at 7:30pm and on Saturday October 3 at 1:30pm.
The Southwest Festival of the Written Word offers theatrical premiers, book launches, outdoor dining and insight into writing about border issues, poetry slams, Writers’ Roundtables, a performance of “Love Letters” by A. R. Gurney, and a vibrant Festival Marketplace. Warm and friendly session venues—galleries, coffee shops, churches, and local libraries–make for comfortable and casual sessions where readers and writers can easily interact.
The Festival starts at 2:00 pm on Friday October 2. Begin the celebration of the written word with a visit to the Festival Headquarters and Marketplace at the Murray Hotel, 200 W. Broadway and pick up a copy of Festival Program that includes the full Festival schedule, session descriptions, presenter bios, and Marketplace participants, and a map of the venue locations.
Visit www.swwordfiesta.org for full information about the Festival, including Travel Tips—how to get to Silver City, places to stay, and places to eat and drink. The Southwest Festival of the Written Word is a New Mexico True adventure that feeds the soul. Readers and writers of all ages, welcome!
