Voices of the Middle West

Midwestern Gothic wasn’t started on a whim or by freak accident—the idea to explore literature and writing in the Midwest, the region I’ve called home my entire life, was important to me. A place I shunned during my youth, a place I vowed at one time to never set foot in again, kept calling me home…and I’m thankful for that. I love this place, I’d like to think I understand it, and it speaks to me—all things I’m immensely proud of. That being said, the mission of Midwestern Gothic has always been to explore and support the “Midestern voice” in literature and poetry, and I’m excited to announce we’re taking it one step further this coming March.

Introducing Voices of the Middle West: A Celebration of Writers and Independent Presses.

The festival is a culmination of months of work, and I am proud of how it’s shaping up. The idea is to bring together writers and presses from all over the Midwest in order to celebrate and discuss the Midwestern voice in literature. There will be an all-day bookfair and various panels as well featuring authors and publishers and editors talking about a host of things. At the end of the day there will be a special keynote speech from lifelong Midwesterner Curtis Sittenfeld, author of the bestselling novels Sisterland, American Wife, Prep, and The Man of My Dreams.

This is, looking at it now, a natural progression for how things are going at Midwestern Gothic, a chance to celebrate literature and poetry in the Midwest on a grander scale…to showcase my own love for this place, the stories we create here, the uniqueness of it, to share all of this with folks from all over the region and beyond. All-in-all it should be a fantastic day, and I urge anyone that’s able to attend.

Check out the following links for more information:

Event Schedule / Directions and Parking

Presenters

Bookfair Information / Exhibitor List

Facebook Event (RSVP)