For many, reading is the ultimate escape, providing a portal to new worlds that exist beyond the limitations of everyday life. It offers readers the freedom to experience different eras, places and emotions, all while remaining in the comfort of their own space. The weekend of Jan. 18, which marked the 20th anniversary of the Wild Dunes Author Event & Weekend with local writer Mary Alice Monroe, celebrated this power of the page.
Monroe, a New York Times bestselling author, has written 30 books and received numerous accolades and awards including the South Caroling Academy of Authors Hall of Fame, the Southern Prize for Fiction and the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. Her novel “The Beach House” is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. She founded The Wild Dunes Author Event & Weekend, which is part of a year-round literary series exclusively on the Isle of Palms.
Through this special weekend, Monroe has introduced the public to world-class authors. The weekend featured New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Patti Callahan Henry. Monroe was a guest herself to discuss her new book called “Where the Rivers Merge.”
The event kicked off Jan. 17 with a happy hour event featuring authors Susan Boyer, Roger Jones and Caroline Cleveland. “This is a great opportunity to meet my fellow authors and fans within the community,” shared Boyer, author of “The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club.”
“Mary Alice is so big in Charleston and so beloved. What she does is such high quality. I did my first signing at the Barnes & Noble in Mount Pleasant. Mary put my book on her website and people came out and supported it,” said Cleveland of her book “When Cicadas Cry.”
Monroe’s connection with her readers and her community started long before the advent of social media. She is passionate about readership and recognizes the importance of bringing people together, which the author event allows her to do.
“Mary Alice Monroe, my friend and mentor, has proven through her prolific writing and with her annual Wild Dunes Author Weekend that one person can make a big difference,” stated Kristen Ness, a Charleston resident and author of “At Loggerheads.”
authors, I find a profound sense of community and connection. I’m inspired. I’m encouraged. And I’m reminded as an author that the work I do alone—imagining, writing, editing—results in bringing people together through words and story. We’re not alone. We’re the bookworms and the wordsmiths. Because of Mary Alice’s weekend to celebrate books, we have an annual place to gather with our friends. I look forward to it every year!”
The event featured the following authors:
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- Kwame Alexander
- Patti Callahan Henry
- Marjory Wentworth
- Susan Boyer
- Roger Jones
- Caroline Cleveland
Buxton Books has served as a sponsor since 2017. The event, which started with 50 attendees, now sells out every year and draws more than 500 people. “We have a strong working relationship with Mary Alice and her team. We work year-round doing events, but Mary Alice is one of the bigger ones,” said Polly Buxton, owner of Buxton Books.
By Maurice J. Frazier
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