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Terroir Creative Writing Festival
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Terroir Creative Writing Festival 2020Terroir Creative Writing Festival 2020
The Terroir Creative Writing Festival is a one-day conference that brings together readers and writers for workshops, readings and presentations by local and regional writers, editors and publishers. The aim of the festival is to build a stronger literary community in our area by encouraging and inspiring local writers and exposing them to the writing and publishing community beyond our county. Each year, 10-15 speakers and workshop leaders share the secrets of their craft, offer encouragement, and give readings from their works. Past speakers have included Ursula K. LeGuin, Molly Gloss, Jean Auel, Kim Stafford, Chelsea Cain, Shawn Levy, and Willy Vlautin, as well as local authors such as Joe Wilkins, Anna Keesey, Lex Runciman, Barbara Drake, and Lisa Ohlen Harris.
The Terroir Creative Writing Festival is sponsored by the Arts Alliance of Yamhill County with support from the Yamhill County Cultural Coalition, Third Street Books of McMinnville, Linfield College, and Chemeketa Community College, Yamhill Valley Campus. The festival was launched in 2010 and has been organized every year since by a dedicated group of volunteers. We would like to offer this experience to as many people as possible, but space is limited. Thus, early registration is strongly recommended. Also, if teachers or others know of someone who would be seriously interested and would benefit from attending but cannot afford registration, please contact us about possibilities for scholarships at terroircreativewritingfestival@gmail.com. History of Terroir Creative Writing Festival
In 2010 when a small group of local writers and other supporters of literary arts got together to talk about putting on a Yamhill County Creative Writing Festival, no one knew if there would actually be interest in such an event. The Arts Alliance of Yamhill County agreed to sponsor the festival and the Yamhill County Cultural Coalition gave a grant to help fund the project. A variety of other local groups and individuals stepped up and made contributions ranging from cash, cookies, and donuts to wine and table bouquets; Third Street Books offered to be our festival bookstore; the McMinnville Community Center agreed to provide space. Soon we were off and running. Registration was far beyond what we expected with more than 150 people attending that first year. In its fourth year the festival has definitely found a place in the creative life of Yamhill County.
One aim of the festival is to build a stronger literary community in our area by encouraging and spotlighting local writers while also making connections with the writing and publishing community beyond. You don’t have to be a writer to attend. Anyone interested in contemporary writing and writers will find something here to enjoy. Past speakers have included visiting authors Ursula LeGuin, Molly Gloss, Jean Auel, and Willy Vlautin, as well as authors from our area such as Lex Runciman, Phoebe Newman, Linfield graduate Molly Johnson, and book artist Marilyn Worrix. With anywhere from 10-15 speakers each year, many outstanding authors have shared the secrets of their craft, offered encouragement, and given readings from their works. |
Kim Stafford
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