UntitledTown receives grant from Green Bay Packers

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019, the Green Bay Packers Foundation awarded a record $1 million to 192 civic and charitable groups across Wisconsin as part of its annual distribution of grants. UntitledTown, an annual book and author festival in Green Bay, was awarded one of the grants, which was accepted by UW-Green Bay Prof. and co-president of UntitledTown Rebecca Meacham (English and Humanities). Prof. Cristina Ortiz (Humanities) and Diversity Director, Mai J Lo Lee, also serve on the board.

Although not officially a University event, UW-Green Bay faculty, students and alumni devote a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy to the annual Book and Author Festival.

Will the help of the Packers’ grant, the Festival will seek to expand community in April 2020 with two undervoiced populations of Northeast Wisconsin. First, to address the stories of victims of domestic violence and to showcase the stories of Latinx people of the Great Lakes.

The festival, now in its fourth year, has realized the power of community storytelling through the 4,000 to 6,000 attended each year who participate in the 100-plus free readings and writing workshops by both legendary talents and local writers. The “dream outcome,” according to Meacham, is a “whole slew of new and meaningful stories being published and hitting the libraries of our areas so others could be inspired, find hope and connect with communities.” For the announcement of headliners and a full line-up of events, see 2020.untitledtown.org.

Ten of its 2020 Festival headliners will be revealed on Dec. 18, 2019 at Lion’s Mouth Bookstore, 401 N. Washington St., Ste 107, Green Bay.

The announcement is expected to include bestselling novelists, award-winning slam poets, a beloved children’s series author, an NPR science podcaster—and the Festival’s youngest-ever headliner, a middle-schooler who has achieved viral and international fame.

The next UntitledTown event is taking place from April 23-26, 2020 in Green Bay.