In its 13th year, Arkansas Literary Festival to host 80-plus presenters

The 13th Arkansas Literary Festival, set for April 14-17 at various locations in downtown Little Rock, will feature more than 80 presenters with backgrounds in areas such as written literature, film, photography and science.

It will also host the launch of a literary map featuring more than 450 authors with a connection to The Natural State.

A launch party for the literary map will be held April 12 at the Oxford American literary magazine annex space, 1300 S. Main St. in Little Rock. Map creators and featured authors will read passages from Arkansas literature, according to the festival.

The festival's 2016 lineup of presenters includes Gregg Hurwitz, a New York Times bestselling author who has written 15 thrillers, including Orphan X, which will soon receive a film adaptation.

Hurwitz signed on to be the screenwriter behind the Orphan X film project, with Bradley Cooper in talks to be one of its actors, according to the festival.

Other presenters appearing at the festival include novelist Sloane Crosley (I Was Told There'd Be Cake), illustrator E.B. Lewis, author Adam Hochschild (King Leopold's Ghost), Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre producing artistic director Rebekah Scallet and Tin House magazine editor Rob Spillman.

The festival will also feature a 15-minute escape room game at the main library of the Central Arkansas Library System, a tour of the Governor's Mansion, a reception for the authors and a poetry panel featuring Pulitzer Prize winner Gregory Pardlo.

A full schedule of Arkansas Literary Festival events, as well as information about the presenters, can be found by visiting the festival's website.

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