Fall 2022 Author Series to begin next week
The community will have the opportunity to hear from authors in virtual presentations hosted by the AU Writing Project’s Fall 2022 Author Series. (graphic courtesy of AU Writing Project)
By Aaron Smith | Staff writer
Author Naomi Charles will be the first guest of the Fall 2022 Author Series in a meeting hosted by the AU Writing Project at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29.
Best known for her debut novel, “Focus”, Charles had a love for reading and writing at a young age. Starting as a senior project in college, “Focus” was published in 2020. Since then, Charles has gone on to publish “Chill”, a sequel to her debut novel. She plans to discuss her writing, literary works and other projects in the online event.
Along with Charles, the Fall 2022 Author Series will also include Jasmine Warga, Lily Lanotte, Rajani Larocca, Daniel Aleman and Barry Lyga.
Rebecca Harper, director of the AU Writing Project, said it was important for this series to have different voices from different backgrounds.
“For this event, I usually try to schedule authors that I use for teaching, “ she said. “Our goal is to have authors of children’s, middle grades and young adult literature to have unique perspectives.”
As a part of the AU Writing Project, the Author Series has shown a lot of growth on a national scale since its formation in 2020.
“Not only has the Author Series reached the Augusta community, but we’ve also had people from California, Kentucky and Pennsylvania attend our sessions,” Harper said. “This just shows that this event has grown far beyond the CSRA.”
According to Harper, the Author Series presents a great opportunity for students and adults to learn about the writing industry.
“I think it’s helpful to hear how writers get started,” she said. “For those who may be interested in reading and writing, these discussions will show that writing takes practice.”
With the inclusion of young adult authors, Harper hopes for the Fall 2022 Author Series to be more representative of the world everyone lives in.
“I think this event provides students the opportunity to hear from different walks of life,” Harper said. “There are many books for this series that highlight social justice issues, such as deportation, grief, and gun violence, so the hope is for students to develop empathy from these readings.”
This free event will be held on zoom and is open to the public. All attendees can register prior to this event at https://augusta.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4OuK62DbLweBwb4.
Contact Aaron Smith at madsmith@augusta.edu.
