The George Moses Horton Book Festival will be held on September 30 at the Northampton Memorial Library in Jackson.
The festival, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., was founded by author, playwright and National Book Finalist Shelia P. Moses.
In collaboration with the Northampton Memorial Library and co-chair Lillie Pernell, this festival is for all ages with presentations, book signings, giveaways, rock painting and more family-friendly events.
https://www.rrspin.com/news/7877-horton-book-festival-planned-at-northampton-library.html#sigProIddb02e152fe
Featured authors this year include Tameka Fryer Brown, Arthur C. Grant, Dr. Timothy B. Tyson, Caitlin Gooch and Njeri Santana Carter.
Horton was an African American poet from North Carolina who was enslaved until Union troops, carrying the Emancipation Proclamation, reached North Carolina in 1865.
He was the first African American author to be published in the United States and was the author of the first book of literature published in North Carolina.
Known as the Slave Poet, Horton was born into slavery on William Horton's plantation in 1798 in Northampton County.
He was the sixth of 10 children and the names of his parents are unknown.
