Deschutes Public Library is now accepting applications for the 2016 Local Author Fair scheduled for Sunday, August 14 at the Downtown Bend Library from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. This year marks the sixth year that the Library has hosted an event featuring local writers. The event is just one way the Library supports Central Oregon’s vigorous and vibrant writing community.

In addition to the Local Author Fair, the Library sponsors and hosts a variety of workshops and events designed to support local writers. Other Library efforts include:

The Author! Author! literary series bring best-selling and award-winning authors to Central Oregon to talk about their books and the craft of writing and creation. From Cheryl Strayed to Sherman Alexie, an amazing slate of authors has delighted and inspired the Central Oregon writing community. The 2016-2017 line up was announced on Monday, May 23 on the Deschutes Library Foundation web site. It’s going to be another great year!

Second Sunday, the Library’s monthly celebration of the written word, offers local writers the opportunity to hear from regionally recognized writers from across genres. An open mic follows the guest author’s presentation. Second Sunday is a great way for writers to support one another and test out material in front of an audience.

The monthly Teen Writing Group at the Downtown Bend Library provides young writers the space to explore their creativity and practice the art being a part of a writers group. The Teen Writing Group meets the third Friday of every month (except during the summer when our staff is focused on Summer Reading programming).

Monthly workshops led by local authors from a variety of genres, including memoir, food writing, travel writing and poetry, are offered. Upcoming workshops give writers the opportunity to practice writing in different voices with local poet Krayna Castelbaum The Warehouse of Voices Within You, explore spoken word poetry with local poet and musician Mosley Wotta Words and Music with MoWo, learn the basics of fiction writing with OSU-Cascades MFA graduates Mike and Irene Cooper Cooper Fundamentals of Fiction: Let`s Make Stuff Up! and work with Ellen Santisero to build on the memoirs from the Speak Memory sessions Speak Memory II: Developing Your Memoir. All workshops required registration. Information is available at www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar.

For information about how to apply to be a featured author at the 2016 Local Author Fair, please contact Liz Goodrich at (541) 312-1032 or lizg@deschuteslibrary.org. Selected authors will be notified by June 15. Applications are due by June 1 and priority will be given to authors who did not participate in the 2015 Fair. Authors will be selected by a committee of Library staff.

For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Liz at (541) 312-1032.