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Literature"Good writers--like grapes and overdrafts at the bank--usually come in bunches. When there is one, there are likely to be others turning up about the place."
Thousands of writers have contributed to this state's literary heritage. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- probably the most comprehensive assemblage of work by North Carolina writers under one roof -- numbers more than 120,000 books and 78,000 pamphlets, as well as numerous newspapers and other materials. Together this archive reflects the lively conversation North Carolina's writers conduct among themselves and with their readers -- here and far beyond our borders. It's a conversation that traverses centuries, regions, cultures, age groups, and gender. A profusion of resources supports the writers who make their home here and brings their work within every reader's reach. In addition to the library systems in every county (whose holdings can be researched on the Internet) and bookstores in even the smallest towns, many magazines and presses are here, publishing work by writers from North Carolina and elsewhere. We boast the oldest and largest statewide literary center in the country -- the North Carolina Writers' Network (founded in 1985 and with a current membership of 1,500). Annual and biannual literary festivals and reading series allow writers to present their work in their own voices. The Internet amplifies the number of opportunities for North Carolina writers and readers to connect, through online magazines, listservs, chat rooms, and blogspots. You'll find many of these resources on this site, or linked to it. For more information (and to suggest ways we can make the site even more useful), contact the Literature Director. Banu Valladares |
