The Rutherford Arts Alliance is excited to announce a new literary festival just for kids! The first annual Southern Kid Literary Festival (SoKidLit) is planned for Saturday, May 14, 2022. The festival connects young readers with professional authors and empowers children to see themselves as writers.

The primary goal of SoKidLit is to develop and celebrate enthusiasm for current children’s literature, thereby advancing literacy and education in the community. 

More about the festival

SoKidLit is a free one-day event for children in grades 3 through 5. SoKidLit will be hosted on the campus of MTSU, welcoming children and their families, educators, and community members from across Middle Tennessee and beyond. 

Professional authors will read and sign books, share their writing experience and techniques, and participate in an onsite bookstore and book signing experience. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a “writer’s studio” and to share their writing with a supportive community audience on a writer’s stage.

This event will be completely FREE for attendees. Each child will walk away with a SoKidLit writing journal, pen, and a signed book by one of the featured authors. A guardian or chaperone should all accompany all children they bring to the festival for the entire time.

Inspired by the Southeastern Young Adult Book Festival (SEYA), SoKidLit is a collaboration of the Rutherford Arts Alliance and its literary arts interest group, Rutherford Lit, with the MTSU College of Education and a team of volunteers, including area educators, writers, and reading enthusiasts.

Author Irene Latham to headline event

SoKidLit is excited to announce that Irene Latham will be our inaugural festival’s headliner.

She is the author of many books for children, including novels, poetry, and picture books. Her publications include The Cat Man of Aleppo, a Caldecott Honor book, and most recently D-39: A Robodog’s Journey.

Irene will speak to participants about three traits all writers, humans and heroes need! She will also be available to sign books.

Winner of the 2016 ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, Irene writes poetry inspired by nature, art, and the experience of being human. Together with Charles Waters she's written Dictionary for a Better World and Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship, which was named a Charlotte Huck Honor book and a Kirkus Best Book of 2018. Irene lives on a lake in Alabama where she does her best to "live her poem" every single day by laughing, playing the cello, and birdwatching.

Irene Latham writes for children of all ages. Here are just some of the award-winning books she’s authored or co-authored.

Local authors to share their writing and publication experience

We are thrilled with our line-up of local authors! These writers are sure to inspire young readers with not only their written stories, but their personal stories of how they have published their books, whether that’s through a large or small press, founding their own publishing company, or crowdfunding their project.

These authors’ books include chapter books, picture books, and early readers, since we know many of our student writers may be interested in writing for younger audiences.

Additional authors are being confirmed. At this time, we welcome:

• Lamar and Londyn Dixon, Londyn’s Choices

• Christine Isley-Farmer, Finding My Yip

• Carmen Maples, Chloe and her New Farm Friends

• Shauna Lavoy Reynolds, Poetree

• Sherry Roberts, Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus

• Abby Rosser, Believe

• Kristerpher Smith, Logan Breaks the Bank

• Paul Taylor, I’ll Be There For You

• Antonia Royal-Whitemore, You Are

• Detario Yancey, Daddy is it ok to cry?

Click on an image below to learn more. An author bio and book information is displayed at the bottom of each photo when you “hover” or mouse over the photo.

Get creative in the writers & illustrators studio

All participants will have the chance to visit the writers & illustrators studio. Artist Abby Hirsch Reish will be on hand to inspire young artists. Abby earned her BFA and MFA from the University of Georgia. She has worked as a library assistant in Rutherford County schools for the past eight years while also making art that has been exhibited around Middle Tennessee. Abby’s love of children’s literature and art making has her very excited about participating in the SoKidLit Festival.

How you or your organization can be involved

SoKidLit is currently seeking sponsorships to help fund various components of the festival; we are delighted that donors thus far include the Friends of Linebaugh Library, the Literacy Association of Tennessee, Ingram Spark, Read To Succeed, and other friends in the community.

We’ll also need more volunteers on and near the festival date! We’ll have more information posted about that soon.

For additional information, including sponsorship opportunities, email sokidlit@rutherfordartsalliance.org.

Author and Illustrator Applications REMAIN Open

Are you an author or illustrator in the middle Tennessee area with a published book? Applications to be involved in the festival are now open.

This year we will be able to accommodate approximately 12 authors or illustrators.

Priority will be given to those applying by March 1. Our selection process will consider locality, publication experience, and making sure that the diversity of our community is represented. Learn more and apply here on our Google form.

Inclusion Statement

SoKidLit supports a world in which everyone belongs. We seek to empower a just, inclusive, and equitable community through our authors, activities and overall festival experience.

Health Protocols

SoKidLit will follow local and federal guidelines for health safety at our event. Our host venue's health protocols may also influence our final recommendations. At the present time, we plan to encourage the practice of social distancing and mask wearing for the unvaccinated, and for everyone regardless of vaccination status if the festival occurs during a period of locally substantial transmission of COVID-19.

We are continually monitoring local health data. Should the need arise to cancel our event, or to adjust from in-person to online, we will communicate any changes as soon as possible, first on RAA social media, then on the RAA website. Thank you for your understanding.