Elgin Literary Festival welcomes writers and readers of all ages
The Elgin Literary Festival, billed as "a free celebration of the written word for readers and writers of all ages," is the brainchild of Elgin resident Karly Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick, a 1996 graduate of Elgin High School who teaches German at Schaumburg and Fremd high schools, has published several young adult novels and collections of short stories.
The Daily Herald caught up with Kirkpatrick to find out more about this new festival, which runs Friday-Sunday, Feb. 6-8, in downtown Elgin.
Q. What is the Elgin Literary Festival all about? What can attendees expect?
A. The festival is a celebration of the written word; it will feature readings, book sales, book signings, discussion panels, activities for children, workshops and more at 10 downtown Elgin locations, including the Hemmens, Gail Borden Public Library, Side Street Studio Arts, Elgin Art Showcase and Blue Box Cafe. More than 40 writers and artists will participate in the festival, which is free and open to the public.
Q. How did you come up with the idea for a literary festival in Elgin?
A. I have attended various authors' fairs and conferences over the years and found things that I liked and disliked about both of them, but thought that they might work really well together instead of separately. I was also inspired by Comic Con, though I've never been, as it's a place you can just geek out about your favorite things. Many of the events I have attended have been in the far south suburbs, and many of the good events and conferences have cost a fair amount of money to attend. After hearing about Side Street Studio Arts planning a Fringe Festival last fall, I really thought maybe the idea had some legs, and that maybe we could do a similar format. Use downtown Elgin as our 'convention hall' and give people a chance to come out and celebrate books and readers and writers, all while keeping it low-cost or free. We were lucky to get some generous contributions to make the festival free for everyone.
Q. Once you had the idea, how did you get support from local groups and bring it all together?
A. Really, I was very lucky to find Erin Rehberg. She runs Side Street Studio Arts and is also on the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission. Thanks to her, I was able to get this idea in front of all of our sponsors. Erin was on board from the first email and I couldn't have been more grateful to find someone as passionate about the idea as me. We have a great committee of volunteers, and the various locations have been so supportive.
Q. What is the overall goal of the literary festival?
A. The goal is to bring readers and writers together and make celebrating reading more than something you do by yourself. It's like a giant book club! You also might find something new that you'll love. But also, it offers something for readers who are interested in taking the leap into being a writer, or at least offering more insight at the mechanics of being a writer. Also, we hope to showcase the wonderful places that are in downtown Elgin.
Q. Do you hope to make this an annual event?
A. I really hope it becomes an annual event. I feel that this is just the beginning.
The Elgin Literary Festival is sponsored by the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, Side Street Studio Arts, and the Palmer Foundation. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.sidestreetstudioarts.org and download "ELF Program."