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# The Library Loves Local Authors
Whether you're a reader looking to support local talent, an up-and-coming local author in search of a wider audience or still aspiring to publish that first piece... Jacksonville Public Library celebrates you. Throughout the year, we offer programs like Lit Chat Author Talks and Writer's Lab workshops to spotlight our local author community and inspire others to follow in their literary footsteps. We even have Local Author and Zine collections and a #ReadLocal collection on BiblioBoard Library to more easily connect local authors to readers who'll support them.
Whichever camp you fall into (writer, supporter, or both), we have a few extra things planned over the next few months that just might excite you. It all starts with three local author programs in July.
Lit Chat Author Talk with Seye Kuyinu
6:30 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, at Bradham and Brooks Branch
Seye Kuyinu is a transformational Agile Coach and contemplative writer whose work bridges systems thinking with the inner life. Drawing from a rich blend of coaching, hypnotherapy, and nondual philosophy, Seye helps individuals and teams navigate the subtle terrain between structure and surrender where innovation, clarity, and healing often emerge. He has two poetry books under his belt. Inside I Am Just Like You and This Glorious Dance: Thoughts & Contemplations about Who We Are.
His approach is deeply informed by a lifelong inquiry into the causes of human suffering and the stories we unconsciously live by that drive us towards or away from. it. Whether working with organizations or writing about the glorious mystery of our "hereness," Seye invites others into deeper presence for the sheer joy of exploration and not for self-improvement. At heart, he is guided by paradox, play, and the radical idea that not knowing is the beginning of wisdom.
When asked about his creative process and recommended practices, he said, "Try doing absolutely nothing for ten minutes. No phone, no fixing, no meditating, no attempt to ponder on something, no 'being productive.' Just sit and watch. Most underrated discipline in the modern world."
Lit Chat Author Talk with Dorothy K. Fletcher
7 - 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, at San Marco Branch
Retired teacher and local author, Dorothy K. Fletcher, will discuss how she researched and wrote her many books on Jacksonville. Many will remember that, not long after she retired, she wrote a monthly column for the Florida Times-Union called “By the Wayside." That column became the basis for the six history books she has written about her beloved city. Copies of her books Remembering Jacksonville, Growing Up Jacksonville, Lost Restaurants of Jacksonville, and more will be available for sale on site.
Note: This is part of a year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of San Marco Branch Library. For even more reads and resources related to Jacksonville history, check out this booklist.
Lit Chat Interview with C.H. Hooks
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 28, at Willow Branch
C.H. Hooks is the author of the novels Can't Shake the Dust and Alligator Zoo-Park Magic. His work has appeared in print and online publications including: The Los Angeles Review, American Short Fiction, Four Way Review, The Tampa Review, The Bitter Southerner, and Burrow Press. He has been a Tennessee Williams Scholar and Contributor at Sewanee Writers' Conference, and attended DISQUIET: Dzanc Books International Literary Program. He teaches at Flagler College, and lives in St. Augustine.
After the interview, there will be 20 minutes of audience Q&A followed by a book signing, with copies of his books available for sale on site by Happy Medium Books Café.
Did you know? C.H. Hooks was one of the many talented local authors who contributed a short story or essay to 15 Views of Jacksonville : Short Stories from a Bold City. The full list includes Sohrab Homi Fracis, Laura Lee Smith, Mark Ari, Teri Youmans Grimm, Tim Gilmore, Marcus Pactor, Michael Wiley, Hurley Winkler, Solon Timothy Woodward, Duncan Barlow, Tiffany Melanson, Jackie Hutchins, Nan Kavanaugh, Alex Ender and Shane Hinton.
Reminder: Reading any book by a Lit Chat author in 2025 counts toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion. Find out what authors we're hosting and join in on the fun!
# Jax Book Fest 2025
Save the Dates
Held annually at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville, Jax Book Fest is our biggest, boldest celebration of authors, authorship, and the written word. It's also a great opportunity for Jax readers to find and support local authors.
This year, the event takes place over two Saturdays, starting with Jax Book Fest: Writer's Day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on September 13. That first weekend will focus on workshops for local writers; the second Saturday will be devoted to young readers and connecting them with books they'll love. If you've got kids and teens who love books and want to know more about the people who make them: Join us at Jax Book Fest: Youth Readers' Day from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 20.
Open Call for Local Authors
We are looking for local authors who have published books for children and/or teen readers. As one of our Jax Book Fest local authors, you'll meet new readers and have the opportunity sell and sign copies of your book(s) alongside New York Times bestselling author and U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Mac Barnett, and other authors of regional and national acclaim. If interested, please apply by Friday, August 8.
Be the first to know about Lit Chat author events, writing workshops, and more!
