FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The Alabama Writers Symposium celebrates its 14th anniversary in Monroeville, Ala., Thursday, May 5 through Saturday, May 7.

This year’s symposium explores the theme “Literary Gumbo,” showcasing a slate of writers, poets, artists, and musicians who produce songs, stories and characters that flavor Alabama literature, according to a news release for the event.

Some of Alabama’s most celebrated writers and scholars will lead discussion sessions, readings and workshops, including several from Baldwin County and South Alabama.

Writers and scholars participating in the event include Mark Childress, Winston Groom of Point Clear, Sonny Brewer of Fairhope, William Cobb, Beth Ann Fennelly, Tom Franklin, Frye Gaillard of Mobile, Wayne Greenhaw, Sena Jeter Naslund, Roy Hoffman, Jennifer Horne, Joshilyn Jackson, Watt Key, Michael Knight, Kathryn Scheldt of Fairhope, David Sauer, Nancy Anderson, Alan Brown, Wayne Flynt, Anita Miller

Garner, John Hafner, Jay Lamar, Jim Murphy, Don Noble, Jeanie Thompson and Jacqueline Allen Trimble.

Registration begins Thursday, May 5 at 1 p.m. in Nettles Auditorium on the campus of Alabama Southern.

New events on Thursday’s schedule include Golf with

President Sykes at the Vanity Fair Golf and Tennis Club and Historic Walking Tours in Downtown Monroeville.

Thursday evening’s opening reception at the Monroeville Community House features Monroeville native Mark Childress. Currently promoting his new book

“Georgia Bottoms,” Childress is the author of seven novels and the screenwriter for “Crazy in Alabama,” the Columbia Pictures’ film based on his best-seller novel.

Friday’s events include readings in Nettles Auditorium by Groom, Franklin, Jackson, Horne, Fennelly, Key, Cobb, Greenhaw and Gaillard.

Also on Friday, participants can attend a picnic on the Old Courthouse Museum lawn; a community theatre production of To Kill A Mockingbird; and an afternoon performance by Alabama singer/songwriter Kathryn

Scheldt.

The Friday luncheon features the presentation of the Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer 2011 to Winston Groom and the Eugene Current-Garcia Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Literary Scholar 2011 to Sauer. The awards are made possible through a generous grant from George F. Landegger, according to the release.

Saturday’s closing luncheon features Fairhope novelist and editor Sonny Brewer.

For information, visit the event website at www.writerssymposium.org or call (251) 575-8223.