Hartford’s L.I.T. literary festival returns for third year
The third annual Hartford’s L.I.T. Book Festival, a three-day celebration of the city’s diversity through reading and writing, will be held Sept. 17 to 19.
The festival, whose theme is “One Love One Life,” starts on Sept. 17 both virtually and in person from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the main branch of Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St. Workshops on journaling, sensual writing, storytelling, “Show, Don’t Tell,” superheroes, antiracist creative writing, women literary giants, writer’s block and poetry will be held by Nzima Hutchings, Renay Intisar Jihad, Virginia Estelle, Lyndell Williams, T’Challa Williams, Demetrius Erwin, Mack
Writtens, Ameerah B. Shabazz and other writers and poets.
The festival continues Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in person, at the library. Activities include readings, children’s and adults’ workshops, webinars, a puppet show, panel discussions, youth activities, paint sessions, awards and book giveaways throughout the day. Presenters include Candace Davidson, Larissa Rhone, Writtens, Shabazz, Khamani Harrison, Erwin, Daryl Moss, Rosa Bailey, Iyaba Mandingo, T’Challa Williams and Hutchings. The highlight of the day, at 1:30 p.m., is a workshop, “The Value of Vulnerability,” by Hartford Poet Laureate Fredrick Douglass Knowles.
The weekend concludes with an afternoon and evening of poetry readings and writing on Sept. 19 from 3 to 9 p.m. at
Free CNTR, 460 New Britain
Ave. Poets include Hutchings, Tarishi Midnight Shuler, Ci-Ci Ashley, Naomi Williams, T’Challa Williams and Alphonso McGriff.
The festival’s acronym means “Literary Integrated Trailblazers.” Other co-founders are T’Challa Williams, McGriff, Rare Womack, Stacy Wylie-Arthur and LaShawn Henderson.
Authors or vendors who want to participate can email hartfords litfestival@gmail.com. To register to go to the free festival, visit bit.ly/HartfordBookFestival3. hartfordslit.com.