Untitled Town Book and Author Festival suspended
UW-Green Bay is closely connected to the Untitled Town Book and Author Festival through the many members of its faculty, staff, students and alumni who serve as organizers and board members and as volunteers and financial supporters of the event. The event has been suspended. The following is a statement from UntitledTown Book and Author Festival’s Board of Directors:
UntitledTown Book and Author Festival thrives because of three values: inclusivity, accessibility and connection. We are a true “People’s Festival,” and our theme for 2020 is “Community.”
It is for these reasons that we are suspending our April Festival, with hopes to reschedule events at a later time.
We regret any inconvenience and disappointment this may cause for our supporters, attendees and participants.
Simply put, we want all readers and writers of all ages to feel safe and welcomed at our events—and we want to do what’s best for our community. In the words of Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich: “We must pull together by staying a little farther apart, recognizing the importance of being overly cautious in order to keep our most vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors safe.”
Our organizers are working on options for bringing together readers and writers at another time. We urge you to follow our social media, newsletter and website for updates.
In the meantime, we urge you to support the writers whose livelihoods depend on book festival appearances and book tours. Buy a book, if you have the means to do so. Donate books to care facilities. Read to someone over the phone. Use the power of stories and poems to close distances, soothe fears, discover ideas and venture outward—because this is how we keep our connections strong and vibrant.
About the Festival: Born in a local coffee shop, UntitledTown Book and Author Festival debuted in 2016 to promote book and storytelling culture through writing workshops, publishing panels and readings by local and world-renowned authors like Margaret Atwood, R.L. Stine, Roxane Gay and Walter Mosley. Now an annual “People’s Festival,” the event draws thousands of word-makers of all ages and expertise to Green Bay for a four-day weekend. Nearly all of the 100+ Festival events are free and open to the public.
