VALDOSTA – Turner Center’s Beyond the Book event returns Sept. 12 with authors, workshops and signings.

Release:

VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host the 2026 Turner Center Beyond the Book – A Literary Event on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event will take place in the Turner Center Galleries at 527 N. Patterson Street in Valdosta.

“This annual celebration of the written word showcases the talents of local and regional authors, offering them a platform to display, discuss, and sell their published works,” said Turner Center Executive Director Sementha Mathews, Ph.D. “The event is free and open to the public.”

More than two dozen authors have already been confirmed for this year’s event. Additional activities will include free art projects, book sales and signings, and writing workshops.

The event will also mark the official launch of the 7th Annual Art of Writing Contest, which encourages creative expression among middle and high school students in the area.

The contest is part of the Turner Center’s literary programming, which also includes the Young Writers League and Writers League. This year’s contest theme will be announced during the event, and the entry deadline is Jan. 15, 2027.

The 2026 literary event is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Georgia Council for the Arts, Hug in a Mug Coffee Co., David and Kay Scott, Drs. Dennis and Patricia Marks, Snake Nation Press, The Valdosta Daily Times, South Georgia Regional Library, Fig Leaves Christian Bookstore, The Bookshelf, and The Good Book & Red Door Coffee.

Food vendors will also be on site during the event.

For more information and a full list of activities, contact the Turner Center at 229-247-2787 or visit TurnerCenter.org.