# Your Next Literary Adventure Awaits
Did you know? April 6 - 12 is National Library Week. This annual celebration highlights the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives. Of course, our cardholders are at the center of any celebration. You are the reason we do what we do! On occasions like this, we like to talk a little bit more about those programs and services that we offer and encourage everyone in our communities to read, learn and grow.
Chart your next literary adventure by browsing the stacks or joining a book club. Let an author color your imagination at an author talk, outline your big business idea at an entrepreneur workshop, or trace your history with your library’s genealogy resources.
There's so much to explore! Get drawn in with one of this month's featured programs...
Be the first to know about Lit Chat author events, writing workshops, and more!
# Authors, Books & Writing
Authors Roundtable: "Cultural Connections: Uniting People Through Diverse Genre"
Learn how to use different cultural perspectives and genres to create stories that resonate with and unite diverse audiences. This cross-cultural storytelling workshop is presented by Authors Roundtable of Northeast Florida - a 501c3 that supports authors reaching their highest potential. All genres are welcome. There is time for networking after the presentation.
10:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 5 | Main Library (Conference Level)
Get Drawn into a Library Book Club this April
Millions of people across the country visit their libraries every week. What’s the draw? Everything! From young families stopping in for play and storytime, to students exploring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) through hands-on activities, to seniors seeking tech help and everyone in between, libraries of all kinds help us connect the dots from one part of our journey to the next.
Get drawn in with a great book and a lively discussion this month!
Lit Chat Interview with Kelly Mustian
Kelly Mustian is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girls in the Stilt House and The River Knows Your Name. She is the recipient of the Mississippi Library Association’s 2023 Author Award for Fiction, and The Girls in the Stilt House was shortlisted for the 2022 Crook’s Corner Book Prize for best debut novel set in the American South. She will be in conversation with local interviewer Jane Wood from 1 to 2 p.m. on Monday, April 7, at the Beaches Branch Library. Audience Q&A and a book signing will follow the interview.
This program is made possible by the support of the Friends of the Beaches Branch Library.
Did you know that all of our Lit Chat authors' books count toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion? Find out what authors we're hosting and join in on the fun!
Writer's Lab: "Writing Wonder: Creative Nonfiction with Jennie Ziegler"
Hone your writing skills in this free workshop exploring the broad and varied field of creative nonfiction. Nonfiction is described, by its title alone, by what it is not. It is not fiction. And that is the only clue we have for this sprawling genre filled with voices from the culinary world, the travel world, the world of loss and laughter and... field guides? Participants will be brainstorming, writing and questioning closely an exciting genre that defies simplistic definition.
1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 | Pablo Creek Regional Library
Lit Chat Interview with Paterson Joseph
Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Noughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in The Leftovers and Law & Order UK and he also plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel, and is a story that begins on a slave ship in the Atlantic and ends at the very center of London life in eighteenth-century England.
Catch the interview between Paterson Joseph and interviewer Kelsi Hasden from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 14 at Southeast Regional Library. A book signing will follow with books available for sale on site from Café Resistance Bookstore.
# History & Genealogy
History Chat: The Life and Poetry of Matthew R. Ward
In 1916, the Chicago Defender published "Bound for the Promised Land," a poem by an unknown Jacksonville tailor. This scathing indictment of the Jim Crow South spread like wildfire and became a rallying cry for Black southerners who risked it all to seek greater opportunity in the north. Mitch Hermann, archivist at the Ritz Theatre and Museum, speaks about Matthew R. Ward's life and poetry as well as Jacksonville's role in the Great Migration. The presentation will be followed by an audience Q&A.
2 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 | Main Library (Ansbacher Map Room, Fourth Floor)
This program is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
# Other Adult Programs
Life Lab: Improve Your Day-to-Day Life
Grow your own garden or small business and take control of your health, career, and personal finances! Life Lit is now Life LAB - a series of free workshops offered by trained professionals and volunteers, aimed at improving your life. They cover a wide range of topics from gardening to financial literacy to small business needs. No need to bring anything but yourself to participate!
Upcoming Workshops:
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Fertilizer: Friend or Foe? with IFAS
- 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, Maxville Branch
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Entrepreneurship with EY
- 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, Murray Hill Branch
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Turf Time to Fertilize with IFAS
- 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, University Park
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Workforce Readiness & Personal Branding
- 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, Highlands Library
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Effective Networking with SBDC
- 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 24, Main Library
Search our events calendar for more workshops offered by our community partners at the Library.
