The Silvis Public Library is holding a local authors fair on Saturday, November 2nd. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This event celebrates National Novel Writing Month and aims to highlight local authors in the Quad Cities area. Thirteen confirmed authors will be in attendance, and they will host a panel event discussing writing techniques, inspirations, and challenges, among other topics.
This event is very personal to the Silvis Public Library. One of the featured authors, Minda Powers-Douglas, is also the library's adult programmer and planned this event. Powers-Douglas writes books about local Quad Cities history and cemetery tours.
“When she was planning this, she just wanted to make sure that she brought in writers that were local, but also from every different background,” said Shaniece Payne, the communications manager at the Silvis Public Library. “So, we’ve got sci-fi, we've got a memoir, we’ve got a nursing book. It’s a really cool thing she’s put together for National Writers Month.”
National Writers Month is a challenge where both writers and non-writers are challenged to try to write a novel in a month. Along with partnering with local authors, the Silvis Public Library will have the executive director, Ryan Collins, of the Midwest Writing Center to give tips and advice on writing to attendees.
Ryan Collins will host a panel discussion, along with author and playwright Toni Wood, via Zoom, who will speak on the importance of National Novel Writing Month and how to jump in and continue, writing novels.
“It will be an experience to mingle, to meet new people, but also to get some insight and learn something new,” said Payne.
On top of this event, the Silvis Public Library is celebrating its 100th year of being a free library in the city of Silvis.
“We’ve been here pretty much since the beginning of the town,” said Payne. “We do a lot of servicing with the community. We have a great community support surrounding Silvis, and we’re lucky to be part of all of the Quad Cities libraries. We’re all just kind of connected and part of a big family.”
To learn more about this event and other services the Silvis Public Library provides, head to www.silvislibrary.org
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