The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival draws dozens of authors to Burnsville this September 8-10. The annual festival brings readers, writers, listeners, and learners of all ages together to share stories, ideas, and make human-to-human connections around the craft of the written word. The festival kicks off Thursday night, September 8, with a free all-ages performance by poet/author/presenter Allan Wolf at 6:30pm at Town Center.

All day Friday and Saturday, authors in fiction, poetry, memoir, non-fiction, and young adult literature will give free readings and discussions via 45-minute sessions in venues around the Burnsville Town Square. Author’s books are sold throughout the festival at Town Center, and there will be two opportunities each day to have books signed. Four three-hour writing workshops for practicing and aspiring writers are also offered as a part of the festival.

The Saturday night Keynote event will feature David Joy, a twelfth generation North Carolinian and author of four “Appalachian noir” novels including the Edgar Award finalist Where All Light Tends to Go, which has been adapted for a feature film starring Billy Bob Thornton and Robin Wright.

Most events are free and open to the public. Registration for the Saturday night Keynote and the writing workshops will begin in July. For more information about the festival and to see the complete list of authors, visit the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival website at cmlitfest.org.