Atlanta Queer Lit Fest Ready to Make History

From AQLF (Atlanta, GA, 10/01/08)--

"The 2nd Annual Atlanta Queer Literary Festival will be held October 15-18, 2008. The event--one of only two queer-specific literary festivals in the nation, both of which are in the South--will feature readings, workshops, signings and theatre by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning authors, poets, playwrights and related artists. Confirmed participants this year include Kate Bornstein, Mark Doty, Kate Evans, Daphne Gottlieb, Ed Madden, Dan Vera, Blair, and Alex Sanchez. The festival's main venues are Charis Books & More, OutWrite Books, The Atlanta-Fulton County Central Library, the Ponce de Leon Branch Library and EyeDrum.

Also new this year is the festival’s affiliation with the internationally renowned Larry Corse Prize for Playwriting, including a four-night run of the winning comedy, Skin Deep, written by Rich Orloff and directed by Larry Corse. Out of 150 submissions from eleven nations, Orloff won the $1,000 prize for a play about a straight Ohio couple that inherits a clothing-optional resort in Key West from their gay son. A visit by the couple to claim the place turns worlds upside down. The play will be staged at the First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta.

All events are open to the public, and all events are free with the exception of $10 tickets to the play, Skin Deep. Please find the complete schedule up on the festival website, and on the second page of this press release.

There is only one other festival in the U.S. dedicated specifically to advancing the work of queer writers--The Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans. The festival organizers have learned a lot from that Deep South neighbor and are returning to their own festival preparations with bolder ambitions for this second year, including a broad range of invitations to nationally recognized and award-winning writers with a strong emphasis on the diversity of participants. Atlanta has an opportunity to be the flagship for queer literature in the U.S., and the festival board is proud to serve their community by ushering in a new era in the literary life of the city.

In addition to the venues listed above, festival sponsors include: Emory University, PD Publishing, The Paideia School, The Galloway School, and Southern Voice."

Check out the complete schedule here.