This two-day AVAFest conference offers conversation and networking with screenwriters, poets, novelists, storytellers, songwriters and more. Produced by Art Spark Texas.

On Monday, October 28 (9:00 am to 4 pm), at the same location, Art Spark Texas presents a Writing Workshop for Veterans and Family Members

The writers conference is not just for veterans and their family members. It has something for everyone who wants to learn more about writing. Because we are all gathered in the same room, without conflicting schedules and distances to cover, you will have many opportunities to talk with fellow writers and emerging writers.

There will even be time to share your stories with Texas Folklife to be included in their Creative Forces audio file. Bring along your family members and make it a family affair.

On Saturday evening, the Austin Film Festival at the State Theatre, is hosting the world premier of Robert Port’s PEACE, based on a true story of three soldiers in northern Italy during WWII. AFF is looking for World War II veterans to be their guests at this screening, so contact celia@artspatktx.org for more information today! And if you can’t get into that, there is always the Lit Crawl in the Red River Cultural District, a project of the Texas Book Festival and the Litquake Foundation. Five clubs along the Red River corridor offer a night filled with reading and contests. Who could pass up Space Squid at Seven Grand, or Reading Roulette at the Mohawk. Sorry friends with kids, but all events are for ages 21 and up.

Then, on Sunday morning, join Daniel García Ordaz (a.k.a. The Poet Mariachi) at the Austin Central Library for a creativity workshop to get your day off to a fun start.

Later that day, settle in for the screening of National Geographic’s The Long Road Home, based on the book of the same name by Martha Raddich. Two veterans of Sadr City will be there, as well as the screenwriter/executive producer, for the talk back immediately following the screening.

For more information about the screening, click here

What a weekend! But wait, there’s more. On Monday, join us for a jam-packed one-day workshop on writing—everything you wanted to know about getting started, but were too confused to ask! And, the best information yet—all the Art Spark Texas official conference activities are FREE.

For a complete listing of the conference line up, click here and register today!

On Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, at the Austin Central Library Special Events Center at 710 West Cesar Chavez, Austin Texas, Art Spark Texas presents a two-day Veteran Writers Conference as part of the Austin Veterans Arts Festival (AVAFest). The hours for the conference are Saturday, October 26 (9:00 am to 5 pm) and Sunday, October 27 (12:00 pm to 4:00 pm).