The “Mid-American Review” is inviting all writers to help them celebreate their craft during their Winter Wheat Festival of Writing.
This Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Bowen Thompson Student Union, many distinguished visiting writers and editors are participating in the festival.
Event co-coordinator, Karen Craigo, is encouraging students to join the fun on Saturday. “I hope that anyone at BGSU who has an interest in creative writing will attend the Winter Wheat festival, because I’m sure all who attend will leave with more ideas than they know what to do with! I always do,” Craigo said.
The session leaders at this year’s Winter Wheat Festival include award-winning poets and fiction writers and nationally recognized editors. In addition to featured readers Carl Phillips and Allison Joseph, presenters include J. David Stevens, a widely published short story writer, Katrina Vandenberg, author of the forth-coming poetry collection, “Atlas,” Tom Noyes, author of “Behold Faith and Other Stories,” and many more.
Also in conjunction with this festival featured readers will be presenting a reading at 7 p.m. on Friday.
“I am really excited about our featured readers,” Craigo said. “They are all great writers at varying points in their careers.”
This is the fourth-year that “The Mid-American Review” has hosted this festival. Craigo said that they are figuring on about 150 attendees.
“We grow every year, this year’s crowd will be almost double the number we hosted last year.”
Returning from the festival in 2002, Paul Many will be attending as part of the young adult panel. Many is the author of several books including, “My Life, Take Two.”
The Young Adult panel will also include a current graduate student, Erik Esckilsen, who has two young adult novels.
“I know of no other events that are designed with both the very new beginner and the serious professional in mind, and I’m pretty proud of that. Winter Wheat is special in that regard, and I’m pretty proud of what the festival has become,” Craigo said.