SPARK 2023: Put Your Words in the World
July 31st – August 4th
SPARK is a community-based creative writing festival. We welcome writers of all experience levels, and we really love bringing new writers to the table. Have you ever felt that small stirring inside of you like you have some words to share? Then SPARK is where you belong!
There are two ways to experience SPARK:
*Ticketed events: grab your ticket for a five-day, in-person experience on UAB’s campus. One ticket gets you into both our immersive and genre workshops.
*Free community events: join us online via Zoom to connect with SPARKers all over the nation. These events are fun creative sessions hosted in the evening and designed to bring us together to celebrate writing.
Immersive Workshops
Each morning we’ll start with an immersive workshop experience that introduces participants to approaching the writing process from a new angle. These workshops will get participants engaging their senses to connect with the world around them.
Monday, July 31: Improv Comedy with Chris Davis
Tuesday, August 1: Movement + Writing with Brandon Shaw
Wednesday, August 2: Nature Writing with Halley Cotton
Thursday, August 3: Zine Making Workshop with Halley Cotton
Friday, August 4: Scent Workshop with Nellie Beckett
Genre Workshops
Have you really wanted to dig in and commit to your writing? Then the genre workshops are for you. We have 4 in-person workshops hosted on UAB’s campus. Choose one workshop and you’ll get to spend time building community and practicing your writing through 4 days of intentional study. Workshops are held from 10am – Noon, July 31st – August 3rd, with a community-building reception on the 4th.
Fiction with Will Walton
Two-time novelist (I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain and Anything Could Happen), Will Walton will create a space for imagination and exploration for those interested in fiction writing.
Poetry with Tina Mozelle Braziel
Phillip Levine Prize poetry winner and Alabama State Council on the Arts Fellow, Tina Mozelle Braziel, will guide participants through the poetic process with prompts that create a greater awareness of the world around us.
Writing for Young Adults with Randi Pink
Critically acclaimed and award-winning author, Randi Pink, will walk workshoppers through the process of constructing and shaping the writing of literature for young audiences. Participants will have the chance to meet and talk with an agent on their last workshop day.
Memoir with Salaam Green
Known for her transformative healing work and ability to bring out the depth of others’ writing, Salaam Green is an award-winning artist and writer. Her workshop will help unlock the writer within and guide writers through the process of putting their life stories down on the page.
Free Community Events
Free and open to everyone. Please register for Zoom link access. The same Zoom link will connect you to all sessions.
All Sessions are hosted at 7pm Central Time
Monday, July 31: Journaling through your work in progress with Javacia Harris Bowser
Tuesday, August 1: How Alabama The Beautiful Magazine is created with Beth Cowan Drake
Wednesday, August 2: Digital Distribution Workshop with Halley Cotton
Thursday, August 3: Print Distribution Workshop with Halley Cotton
Friday, August 4: Digital Poetry/Story Video Workshop with Halley Cotton
