Charles Vess leads a workshop at the Highlands Writers Fair.

Highlands Writers Fair features workshops and signings from regional writers

The Highlands Writers Fair is held Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Washington County Public Library, Abingdon, Virginia. The event is a collaboration between the Friends of the Washington County Public Library and the Virginia Highlands Festival.

Regional authors from Wytheville, Richlands, Damascus, Gate City, Emory, Tazewell, Abingdon, Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City and Chattanooga will be present. They will be selling and signing books at tables set up throughout the library.

These authors write in a variety of genres including self-help, inspirational, memoir, crafts, current events, oral history, poetry, adventure, comedy, children’s, fantasy, horror, paranormal romance, romance, mystery, historical fiction, short stories, fantasy illustration and super hero adventure.

Throughout the day writing workshops are held in the library’s conference room.

Linda Hoagland leads a Writers Craft Workshop at 11:30 a.m. Hoagland has published more than 18 books and is on the board of the Appalachian Authors Guild. Hoagland has won numerous writing contests. They include an honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction/Crime short story contest for her story, “Just for G.P.,” and first place in Storyteller Magazine’s Summertime Blues Poetry contest for “Dad’s Garden.” She won first place in the Sherwood Anderson Short Story Contest in Marion, Virginia; second place for On the Same Page Literary Award in North Carolina; third place for Alabama Writers Conclave for a creative nonfiction; and fourth place for Alabama Writers Conclave for a short story.

Greg Lilly, Victoria Fletcher and Kathy Shearer lead a Publisher’s Panel at 1 p.m. to discuss today’s variety of publishing options for seasoned and aspiring authors. They’ll discuss regional options, traditional options, self-publishing, e-books and hybrid options.

Internationally-known artist Charles Vess leads a presentation on Book Illustration at 2:30 p.m. Vess has won the World Fantasy Award for Best Artist three times and once for Best Short Story. He has two Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, two Locus Awards and many more accolades. His collaboration with Neil Gaiman, “Stardust,” was made into a film by Paramount Pictures. Vess is known as one of the best illustrators in the industry.

For more information, visit www.wcpl.net.

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