Sign up to win prizes and for exclusive updates about this year’s festival

April 23-25, 2027

Word of South

Lunch Money

Bringing indie rock to family audiences, Lunch Money ignites the pleasures of childhood through music. Their energetic sound revives blowing bubbles, pushing buttons and getting dizzy. Their name is inspired by the first taste of childhood independence and power. Lunch Money has played venues and festivals around the United States, including World Cafe Live, Symphony […]

Read More… from Lunch Money

Luluc

In a world where instant gratification is the norm, patience has become a rare commodity. But for Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett, who make up indie-folk duo Luluc (pronounced Loo-LUKE), letting things unfold in due time not only defines their career trajectory, it also works as a pretty good description of their approach to making […]

Read More… from Luluc

Ward Larsen

Popular FictionSilver MedalAssassin’s Game (Forge Books) by Ward Larsen  Ward Larsen was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. He attended the University of Central Florida, where he played soccer, and graduated in 1983 with a pre-law degree. He joined the Air Force, and after pilot training was assigned to the 95th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron at […]

Read More… from Ward Larsen

Madeleine Kuderick

Young Adult LiteratureGold MedalKiss of Broken Glass (HarperTeen) by Madeleine Kuderick Madeleine Kuderick grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, a community with rich literary tradition, where she was editor-in-chief of the same high school newspaper that Ernest Hemingway wrote for as a teen. She studied journalism at Indiana University before moving to Florida and completing her […]

Read More… from Madeleine Kuderick

Ramona King, Griot/Storyteller & Zack Freeman, Beatbox Artist

Collaborating their own unique form of spoken word and music performance.Ramona King has been performing nationally for over 25 years. She conducts workshops and gives presentations on embracing change and challenges for empowered living. She performs folklore and original stories in movement, dance and song, creating an atmosphere of playful wisdom which in turn stimulates imagination, […]

Read More… from Ramona King, Griot/Storyteller & Zack Freeman, Beatbox Artist

Michael Hearst

Michael Hearst is a writer, composer and multi-instrumentalist whose work spans from composing movie soundtracks to literary collaborations. Hearst is a founding member of the band One Ring Zero. Hearst has given lectures, workshops and performances at various venues around the world. He has made TV appearances on shows such as NPR’s Fresh Air, A+E’s […]

Read More… from Michael Hearst

Tony Hale

From Buster Bluth on Arrested Development to his Emmy Award-winning role as Gary Walsh on HBO’s Veep, Tony’s journey as an actor has taught him many lessons—the most important being it’s not always about the Next Big Thing, it’s about right now. He brings this lesson to life through the eyes of Archibald in his […]

Read More… from Tony Hale

Val Haynes

Val Haynes received her MFA in fiction from Bennington in 2013. She’s been a singer, an actress, a bookie and a dishwasher. She’s released two CDs, Lonesome Val and NYC, the latter produced by Suzzy Roche. Her story “Shark Skin,” published in Free State Review, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has lived […]

Read More… from Val Haynes

Peter Guralnick

Peter Guralnick has been called “a national resource” by critic Nat Hentoff for work that has argued passionately and persuasively for the vitality of this country’s intertwined black and white musical traditions. His books include the prize-winning two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love. He teaches Creative Writing at Vanderbilt, […]

Read More… from Peter Guralnick