A partnership program of the Alabama State Council on the Arts
February 2023 Newsletter
Alabama Writers Hall of Fame to Induct Eight New Honorees March 10 in Tuscaloosa
Montgomery, AL — Lovers of literature will gather in Tuscaloosa once again to celebrate Alabama writers and the diversity of the state’s literary legacy. The Alabama Writers Hall of Fame will induct eight new honorees on Friday, March 10, 2023, at the University of Alabama’s Bryant Conference Center. The gala evening, which is open to the public with ticketed admission, will include a reception and dinner followed by the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame induction ceremony – the highest honor bestowed on Alabama writers.
The 2023 Alabama Writers Hall of Fame inductees are Tom Franklin, Trudier Harris, Angela Johnson, Howell Raines, Michelle Richmond and Daniel Wallace. Eugene Walter and Kathryn Tucker Windham will be inducted posthumously.
This year’s ceremony will be emceed by Alabama Writers Hall of Fame inductee and Harper Lee Award winner Carolyn Haines, author of the beloved and bestselling Bones mystery series. The dinner will feature food and cocktails inspired by 2023 inductee Eugene Walter, whose renown as a gourmet cook and host began in New York City at parties with his fellow Alabamian Truman Capote, Judy Garland and other luminaries of the day.
According to Alabama Writers’ Forum President Julie Hall Friedman, the 2023 event will be especially festive. “This will be our first in-person induction since 2020, when the gala was held the week COVID was announced. Each of the six living honorees will be in attendance. We urge people to reserve their tickets early for what is expected to be a sold-out event,” Friedman said.
Single tickets or sponsored tables may be purchased online at Alabama Hall of Fame Dinner – AL Writers Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction (ua.edu).
To learn more about the event and the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame go to: https://writersforum.org/alabama-writers-hall-of-fame-to-induct-eight-new-honorees-march-10-in-tuscaloosa/ For media inquiries, contact AWF, 334-221-5013.
Pen Birmingham hosts Imani Perry at Miles College February 1
Scholar and award-winning author Imani Perry will return to Alabama in February for a reading and discussion.
Pen Birmingham will host its final Birmingham Reads Project lecture with Perry on Wednesday Feb. 1 from 6-8 p.m. in Brown Hall at Miles College (5500 Myron Massey Blvd., Fairfield).
The scholar and professor will give a reading of her work, followed by a discussion with teaching artists Tania Russell and Brianna Jordynn Wright. After the conversation, the Birmingham Reads Project will host an audience question and answer session with a reception. The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required and available via Eventbrite.
Birmingham Reads, a citywide literary event from the Birmingham chapter of PEN America led by poet and author Alina Stefanescu and Alabama poet laureate Ashley M. Jones, is dedicated to engaging and uniting community members in reading one book of fiction or nonfiction a year. Read full story here.
The 26th Annual Monroeville Literary Festival set for March 3-4
The 26th annual Monroeville Literary Festival celebrates Alabama writers and more on March 3-4, 2023, in Monroeville, Alabama. To register, or learn more, go to: monroevilleliteraryfestival.com
Check out our latest book reviews
Survivors of the Clotilda
The Survivors of the Clotilda: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the American Slave Trade By Hannah Durkin Amistad, 2024 Paperback: $29.99 Genre: U.S. History; Race & Ethnic [...]
Periphylla
Periphylla, and Other Deep Ocean Attractions By Garrett Ashley Press 53, 2024 Paperback: $17.95 Genre: Short Fiction Reviewed by Edward Journey As I was reading Garrett Ashley’s new collection [...]
Southern Rivers
Southern Rivers: Restoring America’s Freshwater Biodiversity By R. Scot Duncan The University of Alabama Press, March 2024 Hardcover: $120.00; Paperback: $34.95; eBook: $34.95 Genre: Nonfiction, Environmental Reviewed by Jim [...]
AWF calendar online now!
Submit to AWF’s High School Literary Arts Awards by February 18!
The High School Literary Arts Awards competition for students grades 9-12 is open until February 18. For complete guidelines click here.
House Rep. Neil Rafferty (D, District 54, Birmingham) congratulates High School Literary Arts Awards winners and their teacher, .J. Beitelman (right), Alabama School of Fine arts, at the 2019 High School Literary Arts Awards ceremony in Montgomery.
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