Gilmer Arts will soon bring its annual literary event back to the downtown Ellijay playhouse after pandemic restrictions prevented last year’s installment from being held.
The 2021 Meet the Authors event will take place Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the George Link Jr. Gilmer Arts Playhouse.
Jan Day, event chair, said admission will be accepted in the form of a gently used or new book. It can be a book for children or adults.
“We will be donating whatever books come in to local nonprofits. There’s no other admission (fee),” Day said.
“We’ve got good sponsors, and we’re going to be ready for anyone who wants to come out and meet these folks. It’s nice to be able to offer these opportunities for people (again).”
The event will welcome three Georgia authors to speak about their work, answer questions and read from their books.
“You’ll hear readings and a Q&A. We’ll have a light lunch, and there will be an opportunity for (attendees) to purchase books at the end,” Day said.
Books that have been written by the featured guest authors cover a wide swath of topics and genres.
Atlanta author Chris Negron writes mainly for a younger teen audience. His debut novel, Dan Unmasked, was released last year and his second, The Last Super Chef, is set to be released this year.
Jeff Shaw worked as a Florida police officer for 24 years before moving to Ellijay with his wife and family. His memoir, Who I Am: The Man Behind the Badge, was released last year. It’s been described as “an intense, in-depth memoir of the struggles and trauma associated with dealing with the worst of society.”
Rona Simmons is an Atlanta-area author who specializes in historical fiction and nonfiction. Her work includes the nonfiction selection The Other Veterans of World War II: Stories from Behind the Front Lines, as well as the novels Postcards From Wonderland and The Quiet Room.
Simmons has participated in previous Meet the Authors sessions, but this will be the first local engagement for Negron and Shaw.
Georgia Poet Laurette Chelsea Rathburn was the special guest scheduled for last year’s Meet the Authors, but the pandemic kept requiring cancellation of that event, Day noted. Simmons was scheduled to speak locally last year, but that event was also canceled.
“Rona will do a special event for us (this year) around Veterans Day. She’s written a couple of books about World War II and veterans. We’re hoping people in that age group will be ready to get back out,” Day said.
The playhouse setting will allow for social distancing to be figured into the seating arrangements, Day noted.
“Masks are encouraged, but not required,” she added.
Gilmer Arts also hosts a monthly session at the playhouse especially for storytellers. Anyone is welcome at the free Storytelling in Ellijay sessions, to listen or tell tales.
“We didn’t do it in April because we had a number of conflicts, but it’s still being held the third Thursday of every month,” Day said.