COLUMBIA, MO – The 2021 Unbound Book Festival, a free celebration of literature of all kinds, is in full swing with literary panels, discussions and events taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. CST now through April 23.
All 2021 Unbound events are held virtually and they are open to the public and free to attend. Below you will find the dates and descriptions of the remaining five Unbound Book Festival events taking place throughout the month of February.
Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7:00 p.m. CST – “Emerging Poet Award”
The organizers of the the Unbound Book Festival are thrilled to present the first two winners of the Unbound Emerging Poet Award, an endowed prize given annually to a poet, or in this case, poets, of great promise. Sojourner Ahebee was scheduled to be the inaugural winner in 2020 (before the festival was canceled) and Lupita Eyde-Tucker is the winner of the 2021 award. Both will perform readings of their work as part of the award ceremony. Learn more about this program and get the participation links at www.unboundbookfestival.com/emerging-poet-award.
Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 p.m. CST – “Poetry and Prayer”
“If, as Mary Oliver declared, attention is the beginning of devotion, then many poems are akin to prayer. But for those poets steeped in liturgical traditions or marked by celestial yearnings, that connection is more direct. The poets on this panel – Pulitzer Prize-winner Jericho Brown, Molly McCully Brown, Alicia Jo Rabins – will discuss poetry’s relationship to prayer, as well as to other religious vocalizing, such as chants, hymns, koans, and mantras. Moreover, they will consider poetry as a religion itself, an unorthodox source of holiness and redemption.” Learn more about this program and access the participation links here: www.unboundbookfestival.com/poetry-and-prayer.
Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7:00 p.m. CST – “How to Write Suspenseful Fiction”
“Suspense is too often dismissed as a genre, akin to thriller or mystery, when really it’s an important element of all kinds of fiction, and is often central to what makes a story or novel compelling to read. Come and discover how to create and sustain suspense in a variety of fictional contexts with acclaimed author Michael Kardos.” Learn more about this program and access the participation links here: www.unboundbookfestival.com/how-to-write-suspenseful-fiction.
Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m. CST – “The Art of the Sentence”
“How do the limitless possibilities of a sentence make a story satisfying to read? The three acclaimed short fiction writers on this panel discuss the importance of language and style in storytelling, and how they think through their narratives on a sentence-level to create successful stories.”
Panelists include these celebrated authors: Michael Nye, Anjali Sachdeva and Rian Amilcar Scott. Learn more about this program and access the participation links here: www.unboundbookfestival.com/art-of-the-sentence.
Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m. CST – “Speculative Fiction by Writers of Color”
“Speculative Fiction has helped generations of readers imagine diverse futures, near and distant, utopian and dystopian alike. Moderator Nisi Shawl’s recent anthology ‘New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color’ explores stories that imagine a future in which people of color are not merely in the background or on the margins, but at the center of their own extraordinary narratives.”
Panelists include these highly-talented authors: Chinelo Onwuala, Kathleen Alcala, and Minsoo Kang. Learn more about this program and access the participation links here: www.unboundbookfestival.com/speculative-fiction.
A list of scheduled Unbound Book Festival events, detailed descriptions of each event, biographies of the participating authors and poets, and a “How to Festival” guide with instructions on how to attend, can be found at UnboundBookFestival.com.
Those interested in receiving updates on the 2021 Unbound Book Festival are encouraged to sign up for the Unbound email list found at the bottom of the page at www.UnboundBookFestival.com and/or follow the fest’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/UnboundBookFestival.
