Despite gray skies overhead, the 19th Annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival (MHLF) brought color and creativity to the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) campus, drawing writers from across the East Coast to celebrate Appalachian heritage and the written word.
The two-day event opened Friday afternoon with a welcome at the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum (ALLM), where festival director and LMU associate professor of English Patrick Wensink greeted attendees ranging from first-time writers to published authors.
“We were thrilled by another inspiring crowd of budding writers,” Wensink said. “Poets, fiction writers, and essayists of all experience levels left filled with enthusiasm and inspiration. I personally can’t wait for next year’s festival.”
The 20th Annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival is scheduled for 2026 and promises a special celebration marking two decades of storytelling and Appalachian tradition.
After opening remarks, participants transitioned to Avery Hall for the first round of workshops led by a slate of accomplished instructors: Gwenda Bond (romance and young adult), Anya Liftig (memoir and essays), Denton Loving (poetry), and Ben Tanzer (fiction). Sessions focused on developing craft in a supportive, hands-on environment.
Friday evening’s open mic night continued the momentum, offering a platform for both instructors and participants to share their work aloud. The event delivered a mix of humor, vulnerability, and powerful storytelling, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to uplifting all voices.
Saturday featured a second full day of workshops, followed by a publishing panel that drew a large audience. Bond, Liftig, Loving, and Tanzer spoke candidly about the publishing process, fielded questions, and offered practical advice to aspiring authors. The conversation highlighted the challenges and opportunities of today’s literary landscape, grounding inspiration in real-world strategy.
That evening, the community gathered for a celebratory dinner in the LMU Carnegia-Vincent Library’s Alumni Lounge before heading to the Elizabeth D. Chinnock Chapel for the announcement of the 2025 MHLF Writing Contest winners. Honors were awarded in four categories:
Emma Bell Miles Prize for Nonfiction Essay:
1st – Chrissie Anderson Peters
2nd – Ron Lands
3rd – Paige Mengel
James Still Prize for Fiction Short Story:
1st – Ralph Monday (LMU alumnus)
2nd – Larry Thacker (LMU alumnus)
3rd – Jamie Paul (current LMU student)
George Scarborough Prize for Poetry:
1st – Megan Hutchinson
2nd – Rieppe Moore
3rd – John C. Mannone
Jesse Stuart Prize for Young Adult Fiction:
1st – Sam Campbell
2nd – Sharon Shadrick
3rd – Helen Wilder
The night closed with a stirring keynote address by Frank X. Walker, former Kentucky Poet Laureate and a native of Danville, Ky. Walker’s words, rich with cultural insight and emotional resonance, left a lasting impact on attendees.
Wensink credited the success of the festival to the spirit of the attendees and the work of the support team, including interns Kaylea Martin, Benjamin Branham, and Faith Jacobs.
Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or email at admissions@lmunet.edu.
