Visiting Authors
Past Events
Spring 2019
Nayomi Munaweera is the award-winning author of Island of a Thousand Mirrors and What Lies Between Us. Her work has been widely anthologized. Island of a Thousand Mirrors, a book about the Sri Lankan civil war, was long-listed for the Man Asia Literary Prize and the Dublin IMPAC Prize. It won the Commonwealth Regional Prize for the Asian Region. What Lies Between Us explores the ongoing legacies of intergenerational trauma and secrecy. It won the Sri Lankan National Book Award. Munaweera currently teaches at Mills College and at the Ashland University low-residency M.F.A. Program.
Spring 2018
Acclaimed author of the novels Playing for the Devil's Fire, Sofrito, and short fiction in national literary journals, Phillippe Diederich, will give a talk titled, "From Headlines to Fiction: How Current Events Influence Literature."
Focusing on his novel Playing for the Devil’s Fire (an acclaimed young adult novel set in Mexico), Diederich will discuss the power of fiction and how stories that address social issues can tug at our emotions and lead us to better understand ourselves and others.
Spring 2015
Tony Grooms, Poet & Novelist
Focus Works: Bombingham (2001), Trouble No More (2006), Ice Poems (1988)
Support/Affiliation: Presented as part of the Southern Literary Festival, co-sponsored with the Georgia Humanities Council
December 3, 2014
Hosted the launch of Grand Central Review, an online space for fiction, poetry, reviews, columns, and art. The website's editors—Richard Monaco, Scott Thompson, and Leverett Butts—led the on-site and remote roundtable conversation. A book signing followed the roundtable discussion.
Support/Affiliation: UNG College of Arts & Letters
Fall 2014
Joe Oestreich, Memoirist and Non-fiction Writer
Focus Work: Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll (2011)
Spring 2014
Judson Mitcham, Poet Laureate of Georgia, Novelist
Focus Work: A Little Salvation: Poems Old and New (2007)
Other Works: Somewhere in Ecclesiastes (1991), The Sweet Everlasting (1996), Sabbath Creek (2004)
More Information: Georgia Encyclopedia entry
Fall 2013
Christal Presley, Memoirist
Focus Work: Thirty Days with My Father: Finding Peace from Wartime PTSD (2012)
Spring 2013
Quentin Falk, Film Critic, and Non-fiction Writer
Focus Work: The Musical Milkman Murder (2012)
Fall 2012
Melissa Fay Greene, Non-fiction Writer and Essayist
Focus Work: No Biking in the House without a Helmet (2011)
Other Works: There Is No Me without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Nation's Children (2006), Last Man Out (2003), The Temple Bombing (1996), Praying for Sheetrock (1991)
Spring 2012
Photo by Rachel Eliza GriffithsFrank X Walker, Poet
Focus Works: Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate this Ride (2010), Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York (2003), Black Box: Poems (2005)
Support/Affiliation: Supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts
Fall 2011
Sonya Huber, Memoirist
Focus Work: Opa Nobody (2008)
Support/Affiliation: With grant funding from the Georgia Humanities Council, which is supported through funds appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Humanities
Fall 2010
Silas House, Novelist and Non-fiction writer
Focus Works: Eli the Good (2009), Something's Rising (2009), Clay's Quilt (2001)
Support/Affiliation: In partnership with the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center
Scott Miller, Singer and Songwriter
Spring 2010
Laila Lalami, Novelist
Focus Work: Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits (2005)
Support/Affiliation: Supported by the Hoag Lecture Series
Fall 2008
Anne Dismukes Amerson, Non-fiction Writer
Focus Work: Dahlonega's Gold (2008)
Fall 2007
Jackie K Cooper, Fiction Writer
Focus Work: The Bookbinder (2006)
Spring 2007
Diane Gabaldon, Novelist
Focus Work: Outlander (1992)
Support/Affiliation: In conjunction with the Dahlonega Literary Festival
Fall 2006
Brian Corrigan, Novelist
Focus Work: The Poet of Loch Ness (2005)
Spring 2006
Margaret Edson, Playwright
Focus Work: Wit (1999)
Fall 2005
Terry Kay, Novelist
Focus Works: The Valley of Light (2003), To Dance with the White Dog (1991)
Fall 2004
Linda G Niemann, Memoirist
Focus Works: Railroad Voices (1998), Boomer: A Railroad Journey (1992)
Spring 2004
Natasha Trethewey, Poet
Focus Works: Belocq's Ophelia (2002), Domestic Work (2000)
Fall 2003
John Stone, Poet
Poems by Physician-Poet John Stone
Lorraine Lopez, Fiction Writer
Focus Work: Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories (2002)
Spring 2003
Janisse Ray, Creative Non-fiction Writer
Focus Work: Ecology of a Cracker Childhood (2000)
Fall 2002
Judith Ortiz Cofer, Poet, Essayist, and Fiction Writer
Focus Works: Woman in Front of the Sun (2000), The Latin Deli: Telling the Lives of Barrio Women (1993), Silent Dancing (1991)
Spring 2002
Lynn Hinton, Novelist
Focus Work: Friendship Cake (2001)
Fall 2001
Amy Blackmarr, Memoirist
Focus Works: Above the Fall Line (2003), Going to Ground (1997)
Spring 2001
Photo by Jeri BishopMichael Bishop, Poet, Novelist, and Short Fiction Writer
Focus Work: Time Pieces (1998)
Fall 2000
Lee Abbott, Novelist
Focus Work: Living after Midnight (1991)
Spring 2000
Le Ly Hayslip, Novelist
Focus Work: When Heaven and Earth Changed Places (1989)
Spring 1999
Fred Chappell, Author and Poet
Focus Works: More Shapes Than One (1992), I Am One of You Forever (1987)
Jill McCorkle, Novelist
Focus Work: Final Vinyl Days and Other Stories (1998)
Spring 1998
Bette Bao Lord, Memoirist
Focus Works: In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (1984), Spring Moon (1982)
Spring 1997
N. Scott Momaday, Poet and Novelist
Focus Work: The Way to Rainy Mountain (1969)
Spring 1996
Photo by Joseph Sanford
Focus Works: A Lesson Before Dying (1993), A Gathering of Old Men (1983), The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971)