The Literary Center

About the Center:

The Literary Center (The Center for Southern Literature) preserves the legacy of Margaret Mitchell through weekly literary events, creative writing classes for adults and youth, and the facilitation of Poetry Out Loud in Georgia.

The Literary Center welcomes authors and journalists to discuss their most recent releases. Never a straight reading, we ask authors to discuss their inspiration for writing that particular book. Authors speak for approximately 30 minutes, followed by a question and answer period with the audience. Afterwards, the author signs copies of his/her book. The premier literary center in Atlanta, we’ve hosted bestselling authors such as Alice Walker, Pat Conroy, Tom Wolfe, Jon Meacham, and Marilynne Robinson.

Through our literary events, we seek to explore the human experience through the works of writers and journalists through forums which encourage open dialogue among people of diverse points of view. Our scope is global and includes diverse themes and authors from outside the South.

Upcoming Literary Events


	May 16	Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan - Escape from Andersonville
	May 20	Ellen Gilchrist - A Dangerous Age
	May 22	Alexandra Fuller - The Legend of Colton H. Bryant
	June 2	Patti Calahan Henry - The Art of Keeping Secrets
	June 17	What Women Want (in a Great Summer Read)
	June 29	The Georgia Author Book Bash

Our author programs include six series of events:

The Literary Salon series invites audience and author to gather in an intimate setting to discuss the creative process and the latest releases in fiction and non-fiction.
The Agents of Change series examines the lives of men and women of courage who have embraced risks in order to change society.
The Six Degrees of Separation series probes global issues of conflict and asks participants to consider inventive solutions.
The History In Our Time series looks at important events in history and connects their significance to our current world.
The Meet the Press series features the works of leading journalists.
The Book It! series is a program which showcases promising authors.

In addition, we host a number of special events throughout the year.

Book Bash events are built upon our regular author programs and include specialty drinks, gourmet appetizers, and free drawings with partners such as local restaurants, the Wyndham Midtown Hotel, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Seraphim Skin Care.

The Lunch & Lit series invites you to have lunch with your favorite author. Enjoy gourmet box lunches and free valet parking. Past luncheons have featured authors such as Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, producer of the television series Designing Women, and famed New York gossip columnist Liz Smith.

The Booked for Breakfast series provides a breakfast option to meet and hear celebrated authors. Bestselling author Frank McCourt discussed his memoir Teacher Man at the inaugural event in January 2006.

To sign up for email notifications of future literary events, click here.

Adult Writing Classes

The Lit Center offers year-round writing classes for adults. The program has grown to include several course offerings led by published authors. The classes are interactive with short lectures and frequent critiques of participants' work. Author David Fulmer and educator Bonnie Sparling are among the instructors for the 2008 Winter classes.

Click here for Adult Writing Classes course information.

Youth Writing Camps

Due to the great response, the Lit Center has added more youth writing workshops and camps. The intimate, fun sessions are filled with enthusiastic aspiring writers and poets. By trying stream-of-consciousness writing, journaling, free verse poetry and more, youngsters learn to create meaningful prose, use colorful words, and add detail, twists and turns to a story.

Find out more about our Summer Creative Writing Camps and sponsorship opportunities.

Atlanta Burning Book Club: Hot Books, Sizzling Authors

We thought it was time Oprah got some competition in these parts. The Literary Center’s Atlanta Burning Book Club chooses a title each month by an author who will visit The Lit that month. Reading guides, reviews, and author information are provided for each selection on the book club page. Register your book club with us to receive special book club rates for the upcoming author programs. For more information, visit the ABBC page.

Poetry Out Loud

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the Georgia Council for the Arts, the Lit Center facilitates Poetry Out Loud in Georgia. This innovative program encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. Participants master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Established poets conduct master classes in high schools before the competition begins. Much like a spelling bee, Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners proceed to the school-wide competition, then the state competition at the Margaret Mitchell House. The state winner advances to the National Finals in Washington, DC.

Other Learning Opportunities

The Atlanta History Center provides many educational programs, including music and lectures.