On the Same Page Literary Festival

09/20/2025

09/19/2025

What a week we are having at the festival! It’s hard to believe it’s already Friday but we still have a big day ahead! Don’t forget about the final session with Georgann Eubanks at the Old Orchard Creek Store at 6:00pm in Lansing where she will be sharing her poetry collection.

09/18/2025

We have had two days packed full of interesting and insightful authors at our festival! It’s not too late to join us - two more days to go! Visit our website for the schedule.

09/16/2025

Welcome to Kelly Mustian! Let’s get this festival started!

09/16/2025

Did you know that the On the Same Page Literary Festival, along with the Ashe County Arts Council and the Ashe County Public Library, sponsors authors that we don't see during the festival but are a very important part of our mission? We know how important is that children are exposed to great authors as well so, as part of Arts in Education, we have two authors this year that will be in Ashe County schools during the week of the festival!

Phillip Shabazz is a poet, author, and teaching artist whose work explores culture, community, and the human spirit. Known for his dynamic poetry and inspiring creative writing workshops, he engages students and audiences across North Carolina. He will visit Ashe County High School as part of the Arts in Education program. flamesinthefireps.com

Darren Farrell is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books, including Dandelion Magic, Give This Book Away, and Thank You, Octopus. His book Letter Town inspired the hit Audible series Letter Town Detective. He will visit Blue Ridge, Mountain View, and Westwood Elementary Schools as part of the Arts in Education program. darrenfarrell.com

09/15/2025

This year, we have a double dose of Georgann Eubanks as she discusses two of her books. Join us Friday at the library for the Literary Trails Luncheon where she will discuss her book, The Fabulous Ordinary. Registration is required along with a $12 fee for lunch so visit our website to register and pay for that. If you do not want to eat, you can still attend the reading and discussion for no fee. Later that day, join us in Lansing at the Old Orchard Creek Store where she will be discussing her debut poetry collection, Rural Astronomy.

Georgann Eubanks is a writer, teacher, and documentary producer. Her debut poetry collection, Rural Astronomy, and her latest nonfiction book, The Fabulous Ordinary: Discovering the Natural Wonders of the Wild South, were both published in 2025. She is executive director of the Paul Green Foundation and founder of the Table Rock Writers Workshop. georganneubanks.net

09/14/2025

Mildred Kiconco Barya is a poet and writer of East African descent based in North Carolina. Her latest poetry collection, The Animals of My Earth School, was a 2024 Eric Hoffer Award Honorable Mention. Her fifth book, Hands in Clay, is forthcoming in fall 2025. mildredbarya.com

Elaine Neil Orr is the author of six books, including Swimming Between Worlds, A Different Sun, and her newest novel, Dancing Woman. Her work has been honored by North Carolina Literary Review and the NEH. She serves on the faculty at both NC State and Spalding University. elaineneilorr.com

Jim Gulledge’s debut novel is Green Forest, Red Earth, Blue Sea. He has participated in the Adult Development Institute at Harvard University, the Fulbright German Administrators Exchange Program, and the C.S. Lewis Summer Residency Program in Oxford.

09/13/2025

With all the books featured by the authors at the festival, you may think you shouldn't attend a session if you haven't read the books and that is not true! These sessions can be enjoyed whether you have read the book or not. You may even discover an interest in a new genre or subject matter and find a new favorite author!

Timothy Silver is professor emeritus of history at Appalachian State and author of Death in Briar Bottom: The True Story of Hippies, Mountain Lawmen, and the Search for Justice in the Early 1970s, his first true crime book. His earlier nonfiction works include Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains and An Environmental History of the Civil War, for which he is co-author.

Matthew Vollmer is the author of several books, including Permanent Exhibit, This World Is Not Your Home, and a book length essay, All of Us Together in the End. A professor at Virginia Tech, his work has appeared in The Paris Review, Tin House, Glimmer Train, and the Oxford American. matthewvollmer.com

Sara Johnson Allen is the debut author of Down Here We Come Up, winner of the Big Moose Prize from Black Lawrence Press. A recipient of an artistic grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation and MacDowell fellowships, her work has appeared in PANK Magazine, SmokeLong Quarterly, and Reckon Review, among others. sarajallen.com

09/12/2025

Next Wednesday will be a fun day at the festival - the Friends of the Library session will be at 11:00am where we will hear wonderful storytelling from Gary Carden & David Allen Voyles. Later, Neal Hutcheson will join us for a film screening of his documentary about Gary Carden.

Gary Carden is an acclaimed Appalachian author, playwright, and storyteller. His collection Mason Jars in the Flood won the Appalachian Writers Association Book of the Year, and his play The Prince of Dark Corners was adapted for PBS. He received the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2012.

Neal Hutcheson is a documentary filmmaker and author whose award-winning films often explore Appalachian culture, including Mountain Talk and The Last One. His book The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton received many awards, including the National Indie Excellence Award. He is the editor of and wrote the introduction to Gary Carden’s The Stories I lived to Tell. nealhutcheson.com

09/11/2025

Here are two more authors we will see next week! All sessions are free but registration is required for some of them. Visit our website to register and reserve your seat!

Richard Helms is the award-winning author of over twenty mystery novels, including 22 Rue Montparnasse and the forthcoming Bump and Run. A former forensic psychologist, his work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and T he Best American Mystery Stories 2020, earning him Silver Falchion, Shamus, Derringer, Macavity, and ITW Thriller Awards. richardhelms.net

Leigh Ann Henion is the New York Times bestselling author of Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark and Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World. She is a former Alicia Patterson Fellow, and her work has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. leighannhenion.com

09/10/2025

Are you ready to meet our On the Same Page Literary Festival authors? Check back here between now and the festival to see who is coming!

Jane Hicks serves as the 2025 On the Same Page Festival’s Appalachian Writer in Residence. Jane is a poet and quilter from upper East Tennessee. Her poetry collections include Blood and Bone Remember, Driving with the Dead, and, most recently, The Safety of Small Things. Her quilts have illustrated the works of Jo Carson, Silas House, and Sharyn McCrumb.

Kelly Mustian is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girls in the Stilt House and The River Knows Your Name. She is the recipient of the Mississippi Library Association’s Author Award for Fiction and her debut novel was shortlisted for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize. kellymustian.com

09/09/2025

This time next week, our 16th On the Same Page Literary Festival will be well underway! We are so grateful for our Page Turners who are individual donors to our festival. If not for you, we would not be able to host a festival with this many authors. It's not too late to become a Page Turner and support this worthy literary festival that is free to everyone in attendance. If you would like to make a donation, visit our website and click "donate". Be sure to put On the Same Page in the notes. Thank you for your support and generosity!

https://ashecountyarts.org/on-the-same-page-literary-festival/