The People’s Poetry Festival will now become the People’s Literary Festival in its 9th year as the newly appointed chair, Assistant Professor of English, Sarah Lenz revealed.

The three day long interactive festival will begin on February 22 at Del Mar College’s Reading Lab on Heritage campus. The 23 will be hosted at A&M Corpus Christi, and the 24, the All Saints Episcopal Church.

“We have 19 readings and those are panels of three to four people reading on the same theme,” said Lenz.

“We also have eight different writing classes where people will learn aspects of writing craft and getting to do writing exercises in the community and those vary as well,” said Lenz.

According to Lenz, she is most excited for the diverse speakers, and the opportunity for listening ears to be exposed to all different types of writing.

“The People’s Literary Festival celebrates and supports writers both new and established by bridging literary borders and genres.”

“We bring writers and readers into dialogue, honor self expression and inspire creativity in our readings and workshops,” Lenz said through the festival’s mission statement.

People’s Literary Festival will also host live competitions, and workshops at a multitude of different locations.

“It’s not just all about sitting and listening to readings, there are hands on stuff,” Lenz said as she mentioned the scheduled haiku beach nature walk among other varying locations.

Overall, it’s a great way to establish those connections between writers and readers alike, as Lenz puts it.

“The festival is about bringing people together, so we are bringing together all different kinds of writers who write all different kinds of different things from poetry to radio dramas to novels, short stories and memoirists and children’s authors. We really cover the extent of literary work and there’s lots of representation.”

According to one of the upcoming keynote speakers, Daniel Lockhart, best known by his author name of D.A. Lockhart, establishing connections early on is one of the best things to do as a writer.

“It really is about connections and making sure you stay up with the conversation. That’s what a lot of the literary world is, a conversation,” Lockhart said.

The literary festival will be completely free and open to the public, according to Lenz.

For more information on the festival go to https://peoplesliteraryfestival.com/