Flint Water Crisis authors headline Flint Literary Festival

The second annual Flint Literary Festival returns Friday to the Flint Public Library, filled with events for writers and lovers of books over the course of the two-day event featuring panel discussions, a creative writing workshop, open readings and a book fair. 

The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 with readings by Sarah Carson, award-winning author of “Before OnStar and Buick City,” and Jonah Mixon-Webster, author of “Stereo(TYPE).” The festival wraps up Saturday with presentations from Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and journalist Anna Clark, both of whom gained attention from the New York Times for their takes on the Flint Water Crisis. 

Hanna-Attisha, a Hurley Medical Center pediatrician and professor, wrote the water crisis memoir “What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance and Hope in an American City.” Clark is author of “The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy.” They take center stage at 6 p.m. Saturday with readings from their books as well as a discussion about the writing and publishing process.

A reception and book signings will follow both Friday and Saturday evenings presentations. Totem Books, 620 W. Court St., will host an after-hours open mic at 8 p.m. Friday. 

The festival also includes a book fair, creative writing workshop, and five panel discussions. 

“In keeping with our founding mission, the Flint Literary Festival 2018 will promote literature in all its forms, from poetry to fiction to creative nonfiction,” said Connor Coyne, festival co-founder and director of Gothic Funk Press.

This free event is a partnership between Gothic Funk Press, the Flint Public Library, East Village Magazine, and the University of Michigan-Flint English Department.

For more information, please visit www.flintliteraryfestival.org or send an email to [email protected].
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