UKIAH – Readings and author talks by writers Josh Bazell, Hal Zina Bennett, Marc Bojanowski, and Sheldon Siegel, as well as readings by distinguished poets, will highlight a day-long event May 2 at Mendocino College.

“LitFest 2009, A Celebration for Word Lovers,” will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. at the Lowery Library Building at Mendocino College, 1000 Hensley Creek Road.

Admission to the festival is free.

Writing workshops will round out the day’s events, and attendees will have an opportunity to meet the authors.

Bennett and Bojanowski are scheduled for morning activities at the Mendocino literary festival while Bazell and Siegel will round out the afternoon program, according to Mendocino College Head Librarian John Koetzner. Poets from Lake and Mendocino counties will give readings throughout the day.

Poets who will share their work include Dan Barth, James BlueWolf, Armand Brint, Armando Garcia-Davila, Mary Norbert Korte, Jim Lyle, Linda Noel, Mary McMillan, Richard Schmidt, David Smith-Ferri, Sandra Wade, Theresa Whitehill, and Carolyn Wing Greenlee.

A variety of writing workshops will feature authors Kim Green (“Writing Funny: How to Get Readers Laughing in Between All Those Big Ideas”), Rebecca Lawton and Jordan Rosenfeld (“Write Free Playshop: Attracting Publication”), Jody Gehrman (“Writing That Novel: How to Stay Sane and Enjoy the Ride”), Charlotte Gullick (“Artful Revision: How to Create Poetic Prose”), Amy Wachspress and Terena Scott (“Perspectives in Self-Publication and Independent Publishing”), and Jean Hegland (“Write What You Want to Know”).

It is recommended that writers who want to attend the workshops sign up in advance by visiting the LitFest Web site, www.mendocino.edu/litfest.

LitFest is sponsored by the Mendocino College Foundation and the Friends of the Mendocino College Library along with a variety of community sponsors.

For more information about LitFest 2009, call the Mendocino College Library at 707-468-3051 or visit the event website, www.mendocino.edu/litfest.