Songwriter John Forté, documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter, author and founder of the Black Doctors Consortium Dr. Ala Stanford, and media entrepreneur John Battelle will join MV Times publisher Charles Sennott for a discussion about finding truth in a post-truth era on Sunday, August 18, at 7:30 pm, at Featherstone Center for the Arts, to kick-off this year’s Islanders Write.
Islanders Write is the MV Times sponsored writers festival that brings Vineyard-connected writers — working in a variety of forms and genres — and publishing professionals together for panel discussions and writing workshops about the art, craft, and business of writing.
“These days it seems like not just journalism, but the truth itself, is under attack,” says Sennott. “I look forward to a dialogue with the panelists about how they seek out truths in this post-truth era through their work.”
The event will resume on Monday morning, August 19, at 7:30 am with a wake-up-and-write writing workshop facilitated by author Judith Hannan. Throughout the day there will be writing workshops focused on memoir writing, scene and character development, and book publicity and promotion.
In addition, writer, photographer, and educator Márcia De Castro Borges will be offering a creative-writing workshop in Portuguese, called the Saudade Project.
Panel discussions focused on using nontraditional narrative devices, writing children’s books, memoirs, essay writing, and publishing will begin at 8:30 in the morning and continue throughout the day. As always, the event is free to attend and has a first-come, first-seated policy.
Started in 2014, Islanders Write has grown and moved venues over the years, but what has never changed is its mission to build community and celebrate the literary arts on the Vineyard by bringing together readers and writers for engaging conversations.
“The MV Times is proud to continue a 10-year tradition as the hosts of Islanders Write. And we welcome all of you who will be attending and taking part in this amazing lineup of local writers. We love that our festival preserves that very local focus. It is very much in the spirit of what we want the MV Times to be, and how we try to serve our community,” says Sennott.
This year’s speakers include: Nancy Slonim Aronie, John Battelle, Elizabeth Benedict, Victoria Bijur, Marcia De Castro Borges, Elise Broach, Geraldine Brooks, Dawn Davis,
Bill Eville, Marc Favreau, Kate Feiffer, John Forté, Nicole Galland, Perry Garfinkel, Susan Golomb, Judith Hannan, James W. Jennings, Gregory Mone, Mathea Morais, Richard Michelson, Honor Moore, Torrey Oberfest, Dawn Porter, Charles Sennott, Sherry Sidoti, Elisa M. Speranza, Dr. Ala Stanford, Nancy Star, Adriana Stimola, Rosemary Stimola, Jennifer Smith Turner, Fred Waitzkin, Patricia J. Williams, and Gretchen Young.
Edgartown Books will have a pop-up store at the event and will be hosting author signings. Scottish Bakehouse will be at the event all day on Monday selling coffee and food, but will be cash only and will not be able to accept credit cards or venmo.
For more information and a complete schedule of events visit islanderswrite.com.
