Quail Ridge Books is currently playing host to a precession of reputable authors. Quail Ridge and the Raleigh Review, a local literary magazine, are working together to host the Southern Recitations series, a set of events that started in fall of 2014 and will end in March of this year.
Starting as a blog in February 2010 by NC State alumnus Rob Greene, the Raleigh Review now publishes two literary magazines per year showcasing the work of authors, poets and artists. According to Greene, the Review started as Greene’s own personal blog, but quickly took off after he began accepting submissions from writers.
However, the Raleigh Review is not a business. Volunteers do all the work for the magazine with Greene among them.
“We do it because we love to promote the best work,” Greene said. “There’s just something about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes through their own story or poem and then understanding them a little better.”
The Southern Recitations series focuses on authors writing about their experiences in the South. Some authors are native to the southern part of the United States, while others originate from different parts of the world.
“We were also interested in other people who are sort of transplants to the South and being able to talk about their experience,” said Karin Wiberg, managing editor of the Raleigh Review and one of the organizers of the events.
There is a wide variety of authors taking part in the series. Most recently, authors Marjorie Hudson and Michele Tracy Berger spoke at Quail Ridge. Born in Illinois, Hudson writes about North Carolina in her two books “Searching for Virginia Dare” and “Accidental Birds of the Carolinas.” Speaking alongside Hudson, Berger teaches at UNC-Chapel Hill and writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction. The two authors held a reading at Quail Ridge Books on Feb. 14.
As the venue for these events, Quail Ridge Books is no stranger to hosting guests of all kind, including writers, musicians and politicians.
“When you have a more personal connection and you get to know an author, you have a greater interest and understanding of the work,” said Rene Martin, the event coordinator at Quail Ridge Books.
Along with the readings, the authors who come through also host workshops for aspiring writers. These workshops draw a diverse crowd of students and working adults. The Raleigh Review also offers scholarships to attend the workshops at no cost.
The most recent reading is only the second event in the Southern Recitations series that Quail Ridge Books has hosted, as the events originally took place at a different venue. The partnership has proved fruitful, with the readings and workshops drawing plenty of interest.
The last of the Southern Recitations events will take place on March 14, when poet Joseph Bathanti and writer Gilda Morina Syverson will both be reading.
While the partnership between Raleigh Review and Quail Ridge Books may end with this next event in March, both will continue in their missions to make sure Raleigh is well-read.
