Writers & Readers Days
July 25 & 26, 2025

The Virginia Highlands Festival’s tradition of celebrating Appalachian literature focuses on established and emerging writers, poets, and authors who share our diverse culture with the world. Literature is a circle of communication, and readers are the integral completion of that circle. To honor the full embrace of Appalachian Literature from inspiration to page to insight, we celebrate writers and readers with this event.

“Writers & Readers calls to a community of people who crave to hear accomplished and aspiring writers discuss their research, methods, and motives in telling their stories. We leave the day inspired and enthusiastic with new friends and mentors.” – Greg Lilly

Onsite registration will be offered from 8–9am at the Executive Auditorium of the SWVA Higher Ed Center on the days of the event.

Two-day tickets: $70
Single-day tickets: $40
Workshops on Friday, July 25
& Sessions on Saturday, July 26

Presentation Only

7:00 - 8:30pm

$20

NEW for 2025

An Evening with Sheri Castle

July 25, 2025

SWVA Higher Education Center


Sheri Castle joins us for wine and appetizers (from her book, The New Southern Garden) with music by Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

Sheri returns to the Virginia Highlands Festival to share the story of her career in professional food writing and media.   Sheri is known as a writer, cook, teacher, and television host (she hosts “The Key Ingredient” on PBS), but at the heart of it all, she’s a storyteller. Sheri grew up in Watauga County, North Carolina in her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains, and tells us that even though she’s explored the role of foodways from all sorts of places and perspectives, her Appalachian roots are foundational to her culinary world view and sense of what makes a story worth telling.

This evening, Sheri will share a little of her own story of how her career in professional food writing and media came to be.

Learn more about Sheri and her amazing talents: https://shericastle.com


Wine Reception & Presentation

6:00 - 8:30pm

$35

Friday, July 25, 2025

8:00 - 8:30am — Registration

8:30 - 9:15am — Welcome and Presenter Introductions  

9:15 - 10:00am
Featured Speaker: Alix Harrow
The Lure of Fantasy

10:00 - 10:15am — Break

10:15-11:45

Fantasy

Alix Harrow & Charles Vess
Reading and Illustration Demonstration

10:15-11:45

Non-Fiction

Ed Morgan
My experience in writing the book, “Collards”

10:15-11:45

Poetry

Felicia Mitchell
Crafting Natural Imagery: From the Haiku to Longer Poems

11:45am -1:00pm — Lunch and Book signings

1:00-2:30

Fiction (part 1)

Matthew Kelley
Where is the Love?

1:00-2:30

Playwrighting (part 1)

Derek Davidson
You can be a playwright

1:00-2:30

Non-Fiction

Ed Davis
My Non-Scientific Five Stages in Writing a Nonfiction Book

2:30-2:45pm — Break

2:45-4:15

Fiction (part 2)

Matthew Kelley
Where is the Love?

2:45-4:15

Playwrighting (part 2)

Derek Davidson
You can be a playwright

2:45-4:15

Publishing Panel

Finding the Right Path to Publication for You

Saturday, July 26, 2025

8:00 - 8:30am — Registration

8:30 - 9:15am — Welcome and Presenter Introductions  

9:15-10:00am Featured Speaker

Sheri Castle

Discovering our Story-Driven Dishes and Traditions

10:00-10:15am —Break

10:15-11:45

Culinary Writing

Sheri Castle

The Three Building Blocks of Food Writing

10:15-11:45

Young Adult

Rebekah Wilson

Power of the Pen: Responsibilities of Authors to Young Readers

10:15-11:45

Children’s Books

Ann Ledgerwood

Sharing Life Lessons in Children’s Literature

11:45am -1:00pm — Lunch and Book signings 

1:00-2:30

Historical Fiction

Bonny Gable

From Stage to Page: A Theatrical Approach to Writing Fiction

1:00-2:30

Songwriting (part 1)

Mary Munsey

It’s Not a Race, It’s a Journey

1:00-2:30

Poetry (part 1)

Denton Loving

Writing Poems About Place

2:30 - 2:45pm — Break

2:45-4:15

Children’s Literature

Ann Ledgerwood

What’s Your Story

2:45-4:15

Songwriting (part 2)

Mary Munsey

It’s Not a Race, It’s a Journey

2:45-4:15

Poetry (part 2)

Denton Loving

Writing Poems About Place

2025 Presentation Descriptions

Sheri Castle – Friday Evening 

6:00-8:30pm Wine Reception & Presentation ($35) Presentation only 7:00-8:30pm ($20)

An Evening with Sheri Castle: an Emmy-winning food show personality, cookbook writer, & storyteller 

People describe Sheri Castle as a writer, cook, teacher, and television host, but at the heart of it all, she’s a storyteller. Sheri grew up in Watauga County, North Carolina, in her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains, and tells us that even though she’s explored the role of foodways from all sorts of places and perspectives, her Appalachian roots are foundational to her culinary world view and sense of what makes a story worth telling. This evening, Sheri will share a little of her own story of how her career in professional food writing and media came to be.

Sheri Castle – keynote Saturday 9:15-10:00am

Professional food writer Sheri Castle shares how she came to understand and celebrate that our recipes and foodways can tell insightful stories about our lives, identities, families, communities and sense of place. Sheri shares some of her favorite examples of story-driven dishes and traditions and suggests ways that all writers who are curious about the role of food in our lives and our work can craft their own evocative food stories, with or without recipes.

Sheri Castle – session Culinary Writing – Saturday 10:15-11:45am

The Three Building Blocks of Food Writing

Sheri provides an overview and practical examples of three building blocks for food writing that satisfy the writer and the readers. The first is the mechanics of recipe writing, which varies depending on whether the recipe will be published, included in a compilation for friends and family, or used as an illustration in a personal memoir or family history. Her second topic is how writers can use food stories to express their voice and set evocative scenes. The third is how to see the stories hidden in our foodways and bring them to life.


Derek Davidson – playwriting workshop Friday 1:00-2:30pm (part 1) & 2:45-4:15pm (part 2)

You Can Be a Playwright

Have you ever thought a personal experience or memorable event would make a great play, but you didn't know how to start writing it?

Well, in this workshop you will discover that you already have the tools you need to write a fantastic script—you'll learn secrets of plot structure, character-building and dialogue creation so that you can craft entertaining and moving pieces of theatre.


Ed Davis Nonfiction session Friday 10:15-11:45am

My Experience in Co-writing the Book called “Collards”

Ed discusses the rural exploration story behind the book “Collards,” including how he and his partners scoured the countryside of eight states to collect seeds and stories from gardeners. Talking with people about their gardens was an amazing adventure, and only after he did it would he realize it was worthy of a book. He enjoys conversing with aspiring writers about how to take one’s passions and convert them into something others want to read.

Nonfiction session Friday 1:00-2:30pm

My Non-Scientific Five Stages in Writing a Nonfiction Book

Ed discusses the stages he found necessary in achieving a nonfiction book. The first is determining the “need.” What audience is craving this book? A publisher is key here. The second stage is research: how does one accomplish that without taking years? The third is organizing your material into an outline—helped by an editor. The fourth is writing—something begun in the earlier stages but must be done well now. The fifth is actual publishing stuff—the publisher guides you on design, artwork, copyrights, etc.


Bonny Gable – fiction session Saturday 1:00-2:30pm

From Stage to Page: A Theatrical Approach to Writing Fiction

In this session we’ll explore how thinking theatrically can help you stage a story in your imagination, then bring it to life on the pages of your book. Learn how using components of making good theater—activating the plot, characterization, action, dialogue and visualized world of the story—can enliven a narrative for a reader the way a theater production animates it for an audience.


Alix Harrow & Charles Vess – Friends of the Washington County Public Library Thursday, July 24: 7pm at The Martha

A Fantasy Celebration

The Abingdon Community celebrates illustrator Charles Vess and writer Alix Harrow, who will engage in a conversation about the lure of fantasy.  

Vess has illustrated major works by fantasy masters Neil Gaiman and Ursula K. Le Guinn as well as drawings for many comic books.  Harrow has written several best-selling gothic and fantasy novels. Both are winners of World Fantasy Awards.

The event is free for the public on Thursday evening, July 24, at 7pm at the Martha Washington Inn & Spa in Abingdon. There will be sales of their books, as well as posters and other memorabilia by Vess.

Alix Harrow – keynote Friday 9:15-10:00am

The Lure of Fantasy

Fantasy, Gothic and Science Fiction provide escapism into the worlds of magic, possibility and adventure.  Hear from award-winning writer Alix Harrow about the fiction that inspires her, the power of the fantastic and the value of escapism—especially in dark times. 

Alix Harrow & Charles Vess – fantasy & illustration session Friday 10:15-11:45am

Charles Vess enjoys the challenge of conceptualizing drawings as he hears a story being told.  During this event, Vess will sketch live as he listens to (and imagines) Alix Harrow read from one of her stories. They both will speak about the importance of vivid, precise visual details in fiction.

Alix Harrow

Charles Vess


Matthew Kelley – fiction workshop Friday 1:00-2:30pm & 2:45-4:15pm

Where is the Love?

Every story is a love story; every poem, a poem of love. One does not create or imagine without the specter of love looming over one’s shoulder whispering “more.” What, then, of the stories of strife and pain and destitution? One might think that love turns its head when writers dive into these other aspects of life. But what if it didn’t? What if love is still there, moving from its whisperings to a full-fledged shout. In this presentation, we look at poems and stories that seem devoid of our preconceived notions of love and map love’s presence throughout the pieces. Equipped with a fuller, more nuanced view of love, participants move to add on to their own pre-existing projects or to generate new works. Participants will leave the session with their specter of love no longer looming over their shoulder, but now blooming from each of their pages.


Ann Ledgerwood – children’s literature session 10:15-11:45am

Sharing Life Lessons in Children’s Literature

Not sure you have an idea for a children’s book? What is your heart’s focus? Ann Ledgerwood helps you examine your life lessons to discover the ideas that need to be written by you for the next generation. Bring a pen and paper to be ready to explore your experiences, focus those to your heart’s calling, and shape that into a fable, parable or an amusing story for children. 

Stories by & for young people session 2:45-4:15pm

What’s your story?  

Join Ann Ledgerwood as she guides students—both younger and older—in exploring their own ideas and stories.  Be prepared to think, imagine and explore during this session as Ann leads you in various aspects of creative writing. Ann will assist and encourage students to add their own twists to storyline ideas. Plus, students will be given prompts and assistance to carry their ideas forward. This session is geared to 4th-8th grade. Children must be accompanied by a parent.


Denton Loving – poetry workshop Saturday 1:00-2:30pm & 2:45-4:15pm

Writing Poems about Place

The poet Maurice Manning tells us that place-poetry is not limited to any certain geography or natural setting. Every place is a place! Using various model poems from Natasha Trethewey, Jesse Graves, James Wright and others, we'll dive into three of the most common ways writers create a sense of place in poetry.


Felicia Mitchell – poetry session Friday 10:15-11:45am

Crafting Natural Imagery: From the Haiku to Longer Poems

In this presentation, Felicia Mitchell illustrates how she uses natural imagery to write about the earth as well as about her own life or other topics. She begins with an essential lesson about the haiku, an ancient form of poetry grounded in attention to the natural world, and shows how writing haiku can provide grounded and specific imagery for longer poems. By the end of the presentation, ideally you will have crafted at least one true haiku and understand how longer poems can grow from the concentration and focus a short poem requires to be artistic and interesting.


Mary Munsey – songwriting workshop Saturday, 1:00-2:30pm & 2:45-4:15pm

It’s Not a Race, It’s a Journey

Learn basic steps and develop good habits including vision, ideas, melodies, chords for moods, structure, imagery, collaboration, variety, theme and hooks. Songwriters find inspiration everywhere. Which comes first, the lyrics or the melody? Join us as we discuss why songs work. Is the melody, the rhythm or the story the most important?


Rebekah Wilson – young adult session, Saturday 10:15-11:45am

Power of the Pen: Responsibilities of Authors to Young Readers

While writing offers authors freedom of expression, with great power comes great responsibility. Authors writing for young adults, however, have an even greater responsibility to their readership, whose brains are still developing as they learn to navigate the life stage between childhood and adulthood. Bestselling Young Adult author, Rebekah Wilson, will discuss those issues and the science behind why Young Adult authors should not take their responsibilities lightly.


Presenter's Biographies

  • Sheri Castle hosts and produces “The Key Ingredient,” an Emmy-winning food show on PBS. She’s also an award-winning professional food writer, recipe developer and cooking teacher known for melding stories, humor and culinary expertise. She’s authored sixteen cookbooks, and her writing appears regularly in national publications. The Southern Foodways Alliance presented Sheri with their prestigious Keeper of the Flame Award and named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

  • Derek Davidson teaches Playwriting at Appalachian State University. His solo pieces, “Ox” and “Furrow,” were part of Piccolo Spoleto and Asheville Fringe; “Furrow” had its NYC premiere as part of the NYC New Works Festival. His internationally performed play “Blackjack” was published in “Lighting the Way: An Anthology of Short Plays about the Climate Crisis.” His writing has been published in “Grey Sparrow,” “Jalmurra,” “Indelible,” “MER” and nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2023.

  • Edward H. Davis is Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Emory & Henry University. He earned his Ph.D. in Geography at the University of Illinois. He has co-authored several books including “A Virginia Creeper Trial Companion” and several works on rural history and rural change in the South, including “Collards: A Southern Tradition from Seed to Table,” and “Religion, Sustainability, and Place.” He has authored several papers with his students, including a recent one on the geography of college football.

  • Bonny Gable is the author of “The Martha Odyssey,” a historical novel set at Martha Washington College in early 20th century Abingdon, Virginia, and the play “Lysistrata Wears Prada,” a modern adaptation of an Aristophanes’ ancient Greek comedy. Her career as a theater professor and director, first at King College and later at Virginia Intermont College, fueled her love of storytelling. She shares stories as a fiction author, arts journalist, playwright and a member of Dramatists Guild of America. She is a native of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.

  • Alix Harrow is a Virginia writer who has emerged as one of the most acclaimed contemporary writers of fantasy, gothic and science fiction. Her first novel, “The Ten Thousand Doors of January,” was nominated for numerous awards including the Hugo Award and a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. A second novel, “The Once and Future Witches,” won a British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Her most recent novel, “Starling House,” was nominated for the People’s Choice Award at the Virginia Literary Awards from the Library of Virginia.

  • Matthew B. Kelley is a writer from Atlanta. He holds degrees from Morehouse College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a Truman Capote Fellow in fiction. He has received fellowships from Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop and Kimbilio (Fiction). He is an assistant professor in the Department of English at Emory & Henry University.


  • Ann Ledgerwood is a practicing pediatric physical therapist, musician, radio and podcast host, and self-published author of four books for children and families. Ann has worked with hundreds of children and families across Southwest Virginia for 45 years in homes, schools and clinics. Bringing her knowledge of Appalachian culture and the insight she has developed over the years, Ann writes books that are designed to be read together so that families can discuss acceptance, friendship, fear, failure, bullying, foster care, adoption, special needs and more from the perspective of a child.

  • Denton Loving is the author of the poetry collections “Crimes Against Birds” and “Tamp,” and the recipient of the Tennessee Book Award in Poetry. He is a co-founder and editor at EastOver Press and its literary journal “Cutleaf.” His fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous publications including “The Kenyon Review,” “Iron Horse Literary Review” and “Ecotone.” His third collection of poems, “Feller,” is forthcoming in 2026 from Mercer University Press.

  • “Trail Magic,” Felicia Mitchell’s recent book of poems, is about her relationship with the natural world she reveres and learns from on hikes in southwestern Virginia (and sometimes beyond). Her poems about the natural world have been published in several anthologies, including “Mountains Piled upon Mountains,” “Appalachian Nature Writing in the Anthropocene” and “Writing the Land: Virginia.” In 2020, Mitchell retired from Emory & Henry College, where she taught the poetry workshop and a course in the haiku tradition for many years. She remains active as a workshop leader, poetry reviewer, avid hiker and volunteer.

  • Mary Munsey taught elementary, middle and high school choral for 18 years and recently retired as the director of the music department at Virginia Highlands Community College. She’s had a wide and varied career in music performance—from teaching to playing multiple instruments to singing. Her songwriting has been featured for many years nationally and locally, including performances at Nashville’s Bluebird Café, the Grand Ole Opry, Ralph Stanley’s Festival and many more. Her awards include winner of the Woody Guthrie International Folk Songwriting Contest, the Neuse River Songwriting Contest and the Smoky Mountain Songwriting Competition.

  • Charles Vess is a world-renowned fantasy illustrator/artist. He began his career in NYC by drawing for Marvel’s “Spider-Man” and other comic book publishers. Over the years he has collaborated with many top-notch authors including Ursula K. LeGuin on “The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition”; Neil Gaiman (many times) but particularly on the novel “Stardust” that was made into a major film; plus various works by George R.R. Martin (“A Storm of Swords”), Joanne M. Harris (“Honeycomb”) and Charles de Lint (“The Cats of Tanglewood Forest” and “Seven Wild Sisters”). Charles’ artwork has also been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, and he has won several World Fantasy Awards and Hugo Awards for Best Artist.

  • A Tennessee native, Rebekah Wilson has been writing since she could hold a pencil. The beauty of her home in the Appalachian Mountains, along with the folklore of that area, is what inspires the unique plots and settings captured in her young adult fiction. She is the internationally bestselling author of The Iron Crown Faerie Tales and the Lost Cove Darklings series. Rebekah is also a freelance writer and editor and an occasional adjunct professor.


Read Local

Spotlighting regional authors discussing, selling, and signing their books throughout the festival (July 25-August 3, 10am-4pm each day) at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

Discover the stories of the Appalachian Highlands and meet the authors.


Author Schedule Coming Soon