New Literary Programming for Charleston- Write Charleston!
The Low-country Initiative for the Literary Arts (LILA) is kicking off 2014 with some exciting new initiatives. We are pleased to announce Write Charleston! – a series of readings and writing workshops at our new home at the historic Circular Congregational Church.
All readings and workshops are open to both LILA members and the general public.
ENCHANTING PROGRAMMING!
Writing and editing workshops take place on the third Saturday of the month. There will be a small admission charge as LILA is actively seeking members and raising funds for its poets-in-the-schools programs.
Long known as a place for artists to perform, read and display their work, Circular Church is the perfect place for LILA to establish a physical space to link the writing community with the greater Charleston community. According to The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Rutledge, Circular Congregational Church, “It is often only through art that we give expression to our souls’ deepest utterances. The literary arts, in particular, help us tell and share our stories. Circular has long been a place that celebrates both the arts and every person’s unique story and search. So it’s a natural fit for us to join in this new Partnership with LILA.”
MARCH: PERFORMANCE POETRY
3/15 Saturday 10 a.m. – Noon: Performance Poetry – Workshop with Marcus Amaker
3/27 Readings from Lowcountry poets with new books (Richard Garcia, Susan Meyers, Marjory Wentworth and Barbara Hagerty) 7 pm
Admission is $10 for the general public $5 for LILA members/students and seniors. To register for workshops please contact us lila@lilaconnects.com Book signing and reception will follow readings.
APRIL:
MAY:
5/10 Saturday 10 a.m. – Noon: Edit Your Manuscript – with Ellie Davis and Signe Pike
Workshop fee is $30 members, and $40.00 for non-members.
NOTE: Participants must submit manuscripts by May 1st for reading/markup by professional editors!
What is LILA?
The Lowcountry Initiative for the Literary Arts (LILA) is a literary outreach organization. Its mission is to nurture and promote the literary arts in South Carolina. A board of directors — authors, poets, editors, teachers, booksellers and local supporters of literature – work to fulfill LILA’s mission. They are supported by LILA’s Board of Advisors, made up of some of the South’s most distinguished and well-known authors and literary figures, including Sue Monk Kidd, Mary Alice Monroe, Cassandra King, Pat Conroy, and Dorothea Benton Frank.
LILA was formed in the fall of 2004, with the goal of starting a writing center in Charleston. In the process, we realized that Charleston itself is a center for writing. With so many literary events appealing to both readers and writers, we want to be the hub where you can come to discover more about low country authors and upcoming book events!
While a brick-and-mortar center remains our ultimate goal, LILA has already become a center for all things literary. Started by two poets, Marjory Wentworth, South Carolina’s Poet Laureate, and Carol Ann Davis, editor of Crazyhorse, LILA’s executive board now includes poets, fiction writers, spoken-word artists, and journalists.
LILA’s Accomplishments
In recent years, LILA has:
- Obtained a $50,000 grant from the College of Charleston’s “Centers for Partnership to Improve Education”, which launched LILA’s Poets-in –the-Schools Program at Burke High.
- Co-partnered with the Charleston County Library in September 2007 to receive a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to sponsor “The Big Read” – a one-city/one-book campaign to read Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God.
- Won two $2,000 grants from the NEA through the SC Humanities Council to organize “Poetry Out Loud” (a high school poetry recitation contest) in 2007 and 2008.
- Offered free writing workshops through Charleston County Libraries.
- Offered college student internships in community outreach via the Gibbes Museum of Art, the Poetry Society of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston’s Center for Partnerships to Improve Education.
Want to be involved? Email us at LILA@LILAConnects.com!
