Twenty years ago, three local writers had an idea to create a book that would capture the experience of living in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The organization they founded in 1995, the Hub City Writers Project, will celebrate two decades of writing and community-building with three days of public events, May 8-10.
In the past 20 years, Hub City has published 70 books featuring nearly 700 authors, built Spartanburg’s premier independent bookstore, and facilitated innumerable events for readers and writers alike. It has grown into one of the most substantial literary arts organizations in the Southeast.
• A literary pub crawl Friday, May 8, that begins at 5 p.m. at The Growler Haus and visits the old Sandwich Factory (birthplace of Hub City Writers) and Refuel Wine Bar. There will be literary trivia, readings by emerging young writers, drinks and hors d’oeurves, and a founders’ toast. The crawl will conclude at the Hub City Bookshop with a 7:30 p.m. reading and release event for Hub City’s newest book, Minnow, by James E. McTeer II, the winner of the South Carolina First Novel Prize.
• A street party Saturday, May 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. on West Main Street in front of the Hub City Bookshop. There will be live music, spoken word, beverages, a food truck, a Cakehead Bakery beignet stand, a silent auction, book signings, kid’s events and free books. The street party is a Love Where You Live event and will include booths by local non-profits, including the Humane Society, Spoken Word Spartanburg, HUB-BUB, the Hub City Farmers Market and many others.
• A special edition of “The Latest Thing in Spartanburg” talk show at the HUB-BUB Showroom Saturday, May 9, at 9 p.m., hosted by Tim Giles. His guests will include Will Barnet, formerly of Spartanburg, a New York City street performer of Shakespeare’s works; Hub City Writers Project founder John Lane; and former Hub City assistant director Kari Jackson, now living in Hutchison, Kansas.
• A ticketed champagne brunch Sunday, May 10 at Indigo Hall to benefit The Writers House Residency Program. Previous Writers-in-Residence from all across the country will be present, and catering will be provided by Cribb’s. For tickets, call 864-577-9349.
“Over the years Hub City has sold some 150,000 books and touched the lives of tens of thousands of writers and readers, here and across the country,” said Betsy Teter, executive director since the early days of the non-profit literary organization. “Spartanburg is an amazingly supportive community. Surviving and thriving in the book business is definitely something to celebrate!”