A weekend of public conversations planned

By Tom Hodgkin

Books by Haystack Book Talks authors are available at the Hub.

Stephen Melville knows when inspiration hit. He was in Wales, attending the Hay Festival, a 10-day arts and literature gathering, when he thought, “Why not? Why not Norfolk?” Like Norfolk, Hay-on-Wye was just a quiet country town until 1988, when the local literary community sponsored its first book festival, a series of conversations between contemporary authors. From that humble beginning, the event has grown to achieve national and international stature and become, in the words of Bill Clinton, like a “Woodstock of the mind.” Melville, a board member of the Norfolk Foundation, saw the possibilities of creating a similar event in Norfolk that would both stimulate the mind and create economic opportunity in his hometown.

Cut to October 12-14, 2018, and the first Haystack Book Talks Festival. After a successful first event, a conversation last summer between Karin Roffman, author of a highly regarded biography of the poet John Ashbery, and the critic Willard Spiegelman, Melville and his board knew they were on to something. With the blessing of the foundation, Melville set about collecting a committee of willing, capable and connected Norfolkians to help him bring a bigger event to life. What has emerged is a three-day celebration of literature and ideas. “What we really wanted was a series of conversations about ideas that were interesting by themselves and appropriate to Norfolk,” Melville says.

To that end, the committee has gathered authors who have written about the tensions between public and private land, the natural world and—following on the success of Roffman’s presentation—the worlds of poetry and fictional voice. Each event will feature a 45-minute conversation between an author and another writer with a common interest, followed by a 15-minute opportunity for public questions and comments. Events will be held at venues in town, and modestly priced tickets will guarantee attendees a seat. “We wanted to attract a regional audience to Norfolk and keep prices minimal, but nonetheless make sure that we had a chair for everyone,” Melville said.

The festival will also feature and celebrate the town of Norfolk. The Norfolk Library will host a free opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday night, and will also be offering presenters’ books for sale throughout the weekend. Additionally, the Norfolk Historical Society will mount a show about Modern Age Books, founded by Norfolk’s Dick Childs in 1936, which was one of the first publishing companies to produce paperback books in the United States. The exhibit will focus on how Childs used new printing and distribution technologies to help democratize reading, writing and publishing. A full schedule of events is available at www.norfolkfoundation.net/the festival.

And what of the future? The committee sees the opportunity not only for a yearly festival but also for a series of Haystack Book Talks scattered throughout the year. “Norfolk is full of interesting, talented, artistic people and has a rich cultural life already with its connection to the Yale University Summer School of Music and Art,” Melville says. The committee’s hopes are that the festival will serve both to stimulate minds and to bring Norfolk its rightful prominence as a regional cultural center. Back in Wales, Hay-on-Wye has become synonymous with contemporary literary culture. Can Norfolk be next?

Photo by Bruce Frisch.