MOREHEAD, KY (LEX News) — Posters line the streets of downtown Morehead as the Appalachian Literary Arts Festival prepares to make its debut, bringing authors, readers and families together for three days of events across the city August 28-30.
Andrew Preston, chair of the Appalachian Literary Arts Festival, said the event grew from his observation that different forms of Appalachian art share the same stories.
"I started realizing how much overlap there is in Appalachia between music and visual art and poetry and books. They all converge into this one version of artistic communication and expression," Preston said.
Festival activities are spread throughout Morehead, from the public library and Main Street to Rodburn Park.
"What it all has in common is that it's about books and that is what this festival is it's a book festival and it's celebrating all things literary," Preston said.
Local author Ann Colbert is among the writers taking part. She said the community has rallied around the event.
"The whole town is involved. There's uh businesses that are supporting it. You can get a tattoo with a literary uh focus. Uh, there's drinks at the local pharmacy and it just seems like everybody has jumped on board to support this," Colbert said.
Colbert said literary arts continue to matter in a technology-driven world.
"Literary arts are a big, still a big part of. Our civilization and we don't want to lose that," Colbert said.
Preston said he hopes the festival connects a new generation of readers with Appalachian stories and the authors behind them.
"I think it's more important than ever to celebrate books and stories in their root form and meet the authors behind them, see the faces behind the books, talk to them, have the books signed, and have something to hold on to and treasure," Preston said.
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