Mid-Columbia Literary Festival (LitFest) is sponsored by CBC and its partners. LitFest hosts an impressive list of authors covering a wide range of styles and approaches. They include author presentations, book signings, workshops, readings, and much more.
Past authors include:
- Sherman Alexie
- Stephanie Bodeen
- Augusten Burroughs
- Sandra Cisneros
- David Guterson
- Garth Stein
- Richard Yancey
- Jim Lynch
2015 Events
LitFest is proud to announce the following schedule of gifted authors and speakers. Check back regularly on this site as well “Like” us on Facebook for the most up to date information and news surrounding all things LitFest.
Allen Johnson
Author Reading
Tuesday, March 10th
7 PM, Richland Public Library – Doris Roberts Gallery
Allen Johnson brings a lively and entertaining performance to the literary stage. He regales his audiences with a brew of writing know-how, psychology, music, and good humor.
At this presentation, he will explore the psychology of developing fictional characters, followed by a reading from his novel, The Awakening, to underscore his themes. Meanwhile, when you least expect it, he may turn to a musical instrument, just to make sure that no one nods off.
Andrew Chapman
Author Reading and Workshop (workshop details TBA, stay tuned)
Wednesday, April 8th
7PM, Richland Public Library – Doris Roberts Gallery
Born and raised in New York City, Drew graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in History.
He worked as a newspaper reporter, bartender, bike messenger, knish vendor at Yankee Stadium, and a bootleg T-shirt salesman at Madison Square Garden. He wrote his first novel in fourth grade. It remains unpublished.
After college, Drew moved to Los Angeles and began working in film production. He got an agent and took a position as staff writer for Disney Animation. He has since written for several Hollywood studios. He also works extensively in television. He has sold pilots to ABC, Fox, ABC Family, and Sony TV. Drew recently wrote and produced an eight-part limited series for-ABC called The Assets; a cold-war thriller based on a true story.
His novel, The Ascendant, was released by Simon & Schuster on January 7, 2014. Drew is currently writing the sequel.
Gwen James and Pete Fromm
“An Evening of Poetry and Prose”
Thursday, April 16th
7 PM, WSU-Tri-Cities – Room TBA
Hosted by WSU-TC
Tod Marshall
Author Reading
Wednesday, April 29th
7 PM, (location TBA)
Karen Spears Zacharias
Author Reading
Thursday, May 7th
7 PM, Richland Public Library – Doris Roberts Gallery
Karen Spears Zacharias is an award winning author, a former crime-beat reporter, and a provocative storyteller.
This Gold-Star daughter grew up besotted by the wildly disarming stories of her Appalachian kinfolk.
As a young girl, Karen would often pester her mother throughout the day with the question of “Why ?” Her mother wasn’t much interested in the whys of life. She responded to Karen’s insistent questioning with “Why does it matter? Are you writing a book?”
Primal Mates
Music Meets Poetry by Chris Lee and Colleen O’Brien
Wednesday, May 20
6:30 PM, Richland Public Library – Doris Roberts Gallery
Over the years, as part of their regular concert programs, the chamber jazz duo of Chris Lee and Colleen O'Brien have included poems that have been set to music, music that has been set to poems, and music by some well known writers who were also accomplished composers. This concert will be devoted entirely to this genre.
Thank you to our sponsors...
CBC Arts & Humanities Division, Battelle Foundation, the Richland Public Library, the Richland Public Library Foundation, the Friends of the Richland Public Library, Columbia Basin College, and a wonderful anonymous donor, for which we are eternally grateful.