Read up on the first Punch Bucket Literary Festival

See what’s in store for the inaugural festival from the literary nonprofit and get acquainted with some of the authors who will share their work.

Bookshelves in Malaprop regional fiction section

Malaprop’s Bookstore will supply some of the books at Saturday’s book fair.

Photo by AVLtoday

Local literary nonprofit Punch Bucket Lit will soon launch the Punch Bucket Literary Festival, bringing the literary community together for readings, panels, and workshops. Read on to see what’s in store for the fest — it’s still a few weeks away, so there’s plenty of time to binge-read the featured authors’ works.

On the schedule

The fest kicks off on the evening of Friday, Sept. 20 with five-minute prose and poetry readings from more than 15 authors.

Then on Saturday, Sept. 21, it’s an all-day spectacle. From 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., more than 100 authors will participate in readings, panels, and workshops at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts and the Renaissance Hotel. In between attending these events, you can stop by the bookfair at the Wortham Center, which will feature more than 20 literary magazines and presses (like The Rumpus and Otterpine) and books from the festival’s featured authors.

To close out the occasion on Saturday night, the keynote will welcome headlining poets Diamond Forde and José Olivarez in conversation with Eric Tran. Then, local writer and memoirist Tessa Fontaine (who recently released “The Red Grove”) will converse with novelist Lauren Groff, named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2024.

See the detailed schedule — you can buy an $89 festival pass for entry into all the events or individual tickets to each event.

Bonus: To learn more about the authors featured at the festival and what you should be reading from them, check out the festival episode of Punch Bucket Lit’s podcast.

If you’re an open book...

Even beyond attending the festival, you can get involved with the group’s regular events. Local writers can inquire about sharing their work by attending one of the reading series and talking to the curator. If you aren’t keen on sharing, anyone is welcome to listen. Check out Punch Bucket Lit’s events page to stay in the know about the reading series and author events.

More from AVLtoday
More than 1,000 of the unique works of art on the walls of the global steakhouse chain were created by WNC artist and UNC Asheville graduate David Soileau.
Summer may not officially be over yet — but pumpkin spice season is in full swing. Get your fill of the flavor at these Asheville spots.
Check out our guide to the many meaningful murals you can find around our city.
Check out some of the year’s cheapest flights leaving our local airport.
The Asheville chapter of this nonprofit organization introduces local veterans to highly trained canine companions — and they need volunteers to raise the puppies.
Find inspiration, innovation, and collaboration during a week dedicated to building local business.
What you need to know about the unique festival blending history, arts, and culture.
The NC Division of Parks and Recreation acquired 238 acres of high-elevation land as park of the state park’s land protection plan.
Find a local group of fitness friends to keep you motivated, introduce you to new tracks + trails, and make sweat-breaking a social occasion.
Prismatic Services, the company conducting the school consolidation feasibility study, will host a series of drop-in feedback meetings throughout September.