Center City Literary Festival to feature authors, performers

The second annual Center City Literary Festival will be Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17-18, at UNC Charlotte Center City. This festival will showcase authors and performers associated with the University; it is sponsored by UNC Charlotte Center City and the Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Adult-oriented festival offerings include a reading by James Grymes, music, from his recently published “Violins of Hope” from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 17. Violinists will perform in conjunction with this reading. Other participating writers will include poet Christopher Davis, mystery novelist Mark de Castrique, essayist Sandra Govan and poet Grace Ocasio. Several of the participants are contributors to the just released work “27 Views of Charlotte: The Queen City in Prose and Poetry.” They will read from their contributions to this collection, and the evening will close with a book signing during which folk music group the Kollard Kings will perform.

On Saturday, Oct.18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the festival will feature literature, art, theatre and music and will offer a number of hands-on activities for children.

Featured authors and illustrators include Caldecott Medal winner Gail Haley, illustrator Mathew Myers and digital artist Heather Freeman. Many of the art activities will relate to the opening of the exhibit “Icarus: A Study of the Urge to Fly.”

Beth Murray from the Department of Theatre will coordinate performances based on picture books, and the festival will conclude with a family-friendly musical performance by UNC Charlotte’s Chamber Orchestra.