Blackburn Literary Festival

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The Blackburn Literary Festival at Duke is an annual festival to celebrate literature and learning.

History of the Festival

Professor William Blackburn began teaching Elizabethan poetry and creative writing at Duke University in 1932. With his inimitable wit and brooding temperment, he inspired generations of young authors and scholars. His office and his house became gathering places for students with whom he shared ideas, criticism, and cups of tea. Fred Chappell, William Styron, Reynolds Price, Jim Applewhite and Anne Tyler were all among the students who left Blackburn's tutelage to create names for themselves through their writing. Today, the annual Blackburn Literary Festival seeks to continue this spirit of sharing and love for literature.