Word Of South Festival Announces 2018 Lineup

Representatives from Word of South Festival announced the 2018 lineup of performers at a special event held at Tallahassee's Fifth and Thomas. Now in its fourth year, Word of South is a three-day festival celebrating the connection between music and literature. Audiences of all ages can visit eight stages across Cascades Park for a series of performances by nationally-renowned authors and musicians completely free of charge. Word of South is the only event in the nation to pair authors and musicians as they explore the powerful blend of the disciplines.

"We take pride in making Word of South as diverse as possible," said Mark Mustian, Word of South President. "Our 2018 lineup features an array of more than 100 performers ranging from Grammy Award winner John Paul White to NPR host Martha Barnette. By including such a variety of artists, we are able to showcase the dynamic power of words across all genres of music and literature. But what truly sets Word of South Festival apart are our mash-up performances where we put authors and musicians together on the same stage."

2018 pairings will offer audiences deep dives into culture. National Book Award-winning author Bob Shacochis will take the stage with RAM, a drum-roots-driven powerhouse band from Haiti. John T. Edge, who has written or edited more than a dozen books including The Potlikker Papers, and farmer Jenni Harris will appear together to explore the relationship between literature and food. Chuck Reece, editor of The Bitter Southerner, will moderate a panel discussion on the significance of Muscle Shoals music featuring John Paul White, Donnie Fritts, Patterson Hood and David Hood.

Other artists set to perform in 2018 include Jeff VanderMeer, Sean Dietrich and Martha Barnette. New York Times bestseller Vandermeer has been published in 20 countries, and his book Annihilation was turned into a Paramount Pictures film starring Natalie Portman. Sean Dietrich is a columnist and author of seven novels. Known for his commentary on life in the American South, Dietrich's work has been featured in Southern Living, South Magazine, Yellowhammer News, Good Grit, The Bitter Southerner, Thom Magazine and the Tallahassee Democrat. NPR's "A Way with Words" host Martha Barnette will talk about words and how we use language to connect with each other.

Word of South Festival is designed to be a festival for everyone, including children, and 2018 marks the second year of "Beats and Books," which includes book giveaways through a partnership with Early Learning Coalition and musical performances with artists like Pickle Pie. The Story Fort stage will offer music, stories from celebrated children's authors and a craft area for young readers. The Middle Ages tent will host writing workshops and activities for older children.

"One of the best parts of Word of South is our robust children's program," said Sara Marchessault, the festival's manager. "This year's talent is incredibly exciting. Award-winning young adult novelist Jason Reynolds will talk about his latest book, Long Way Down. Additionally, Laura Freeman, an author who also illustrated the children's book Hidden Figures will pair up with Irene Latham, poet and novelist, to discuss their writing."

To post a comment, you must register and login.