Saugatuck StoryFest Events
Saturday, September 28 - The Forum Stage @ The Westport Library
12:00 pm
Scary Stories, Presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA)
Featuring: Grady Hendrix, Stephen Graham Jones, Gwendolyn Kiste, J. W. Ocker, Mallory O’Meara, Paul Tremblay
Moderator: John Palisano
Some of horror’s top writers discuss what’s current and what’s next in the horror genre. Led by President of the Horror Writers Association, John Palisano
1:00 pm
StoryFest 2019 Keynote: RL Stine
Introduction By: Grady Hendrix
2:30 pm
See Yourself in the Story, Presented by TEAMWestport
Featuring: Sona Charaipotra, Jerry Craft, Tiffany Jackson, Kyle Lukoff, Seanan McGuire, Nic Stone
Moderator: Rose Brock
What does it mean for readers to see themselves reflected in the stories they love? A cross-genre panel of StoryFest authors discuss the importance of writing stories that reflect the full spectrum of the human experience.
3:30 pm
The Storyteller in the World
Featuring: Marah Hardt, L.L. McKinney, Gwendolyn Kiste, Courtney Maum, Tope Folarin, Christa Carmen
Moderator: Meryl Moss
Focusing on writers and their connections to the worlds they inhabit, this panel examines how those worlds find their way into their work, and the importance of those worlds being seen and explored by readers.
4:30 pm
Hearing the Echoes: On “Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories”
Featuring: A. C. Wise, Stephen Graham Jones, Seanan McGuire, Paul Tremblay, Bracken MacLeod, Rick Bowes
Moderator: Ellen Datlow
In “Echoes,” legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow has compiled some of the best ghost stories on the planet. In this panel, Datlow will discuss the anthology and the enduring importance of ghost stories with some of the anthology’s contributors.
Saturday, September 28 - Brooks Place @ The Westport Library
11:00 am
The Art of Non-Fiction
Featuring: Emily Easton, Marah Hardt, Basil Hero, Nathalie Jacob, J. W. Ocker, Sam Weller
Moderator: Brian Solomon
From the sex lives of sea creatures to the most haunted places in New England, StoryFest’s non-fiction authors turn real life into works of art. In this panel, hear why they tell the stories they tell.
12:00 pm
The Connecticut Nutmeg Book Awards
Featuring: Jake Burt, Susan Hood, Geoff Rodkey, Ibi Zoboi
Moderator: Mary Parmelee
Meet current nominees and past winners of the Connecticut Book Nutmeg Awards, a statewide awards program which encourages children in grades 2-12 to read quality literature and to choose their favorite from a list of ten nominated titles.
2:00 pm
Coming of Age
Featuring: Mike Belanger, Jake Burt, Eric Bell, Janae Marks, Rhiannon Navin, Susan Ross
Moderator: Lorien Lawrence Hallama
It’s the moment when everything changes. Young protagonists are at the center of these panelists’ stories, and in this cross-genre discussion, they’ll share the challenges and importance of telling stories about young people coming of age.
3:00 pm
The Thrill of It
Featuring: Megan Collins, Maureen Joyce Connolly, Wendy Walker, Jessica Bayliss
Moderator: Lorien Lawrence Hallama
What makes thrillers so irresistible? StoryFest has some of the most exciting thriller writers out there, and they’ll discuss how they create the stories that keep readers guessing and what thrills them about the future of the genre.
4:00 pm
Worlds of Words and Pictures
Featuring: Brenden Fletcher, Franco, Paul Kupperberg, Bats Langley, Gregg Schigiel
Moderator: Marc Hammond
Join these acclaimed graphic storytellers as they talk about the magical combination of writing and art.
Saturday, September 28 - The Sheffer Gallery @ The Westport Library
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Author Interviews with Christa Carmen
Missed your favorite author on their panel? Or maybe you want to go a little deeper into the creative process? Pop in all day as Indie Horror Book Award winner Christa Carmendrills down the details with your favorite StoryFest writers.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Author Interviews with Christa Carmen
Missed your favorite author on their panel? Or maybe you want to go a little deeper into the creative process? Pop in all day as Indie Horror Book Award winner Christa Carmendrills down the details with your favorite StoryFest writers.
3:00 pm
What Makes a Villain?
Featuring: Fairfield Scribes with Ed Ahern, Elizabeth Chatsworth, Gabi Coatsworth, PC Keeler, P. M. Ray, Robert Tomaino
Moderator: Alison McBain
What makes villains so fascinating? They are the characters readers love to hate, and hate to love. The authors and editors of the small press publisher Fairfield Scribes discuss classic villains in literature and the evolution of “the bad guy” through the ages. Each author will read a brief excerpt from their stories in the Fairfield Scribes’ newest publication Don’t Be A Hero: A VILLAINthology, and examine the many ways a writer can make a villain captivate a reader from the first page to the last.
4:00 pm
Addictive Page Turners
Featuring: Devon Delaney, Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, Susannah Marren, Andrea Penrose
Moderator: Carolyn Karwoski
These are the kinds of books you just can’t put down. Our cross-genre panel of authors talk about what draws them to their irresistible stories and how they craft the tales that keep readers hooked.