Backwoods Literary Press

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Knoxville, TN
Backwoods Literary Press

We are a q***r, rural-led publisher dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized writers.

We create space for storytelling that honors resilience, identity, and place.

11/11/2025

We have an exciting poetry workshop planned with the lovely and talented Marianne Worthington!

“The Voice of the Poem: A Generative Workshop”

Discover your unique poetic voice in this interactive workshop! Explore memories, experiment with perspective, and try out new ways of speaking through poetry. By the end, you’ll leave with at least two new poem drafts and fresh inspiration to continue writing.

Details:
Dec 10 | 6:30–8:00 PM EDT
Virtual Zoom | Pay What You Can – All contributions help fund future artist compensation and book donations.

✨ Open to all. Come claim your voice! Register here so we can send you the Zoom link: https://shorturl.at/zWw2q

10/20/2025

We’re putting the final touches on “Testament: A Rural Anthology,” and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been cookin’ up. In the meantime, here’s something to celebrate:

A Workshop with Olivia Dudding-Rodriguez
❤️‍🔥 October 26 | 3–5 PM EDT ❤️‍🔥
Virtual, held on Zoom

Join Backwoods Literary Press for “Poetics of Disbelief,” a two-hour workshop led by Olivia Dudding-Rodriguez!

Together, we’ll examine the outlier beliefs in things like ghosts, the Mothman, and other mysteries that linger at the edges of reason. Expect curiosity, creativity, and seasonal fun!

This workshop is pay what you can. All funds go towards printing costs and funding accessible creative community events like this one. You can make donations under the “Support” page of our website.

See y’all then! ❤️‍🔥 Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-ghtHwUR40CMKkNGhTZWXOrnCWh7r4gOnM3FoeYEEg5vDRw/viewform

10/08/2025

What a lovely evening at CoffeeTree Books in Morehead, KY!

We gathered for readings and performances from contributors to “Discarded: A Rural Anthology” — including Willie Edward Taylor Carver, A.P. Harbor, Cole Allen, and Belle Townsend. Afterward, folks stuck around to chat and get books signed, including some of the authors’ own collections.

This was the first of several gatherings as we start preparing for our next book, “Testament: A Rural Anthology.” We’re so grateful to everyone who came out to share their words, listen, and spend time together.

Nights like this remind us what it means to be in community — to slow down, to make space for each other, and to keep creating beauty in a time that’s begging for more of it.

Thank you to everyone who came out! Tonight was a porch light left on if there ever was one! ❤️‍🔥

09/16/2025

These are some heavy days. Here are some words with a little light. Love you, mean it. Take care. ❤️‍🔥

09/01/2025

84 voices. Countless stories. One Testament. November 2025.

Contributors carry grief, joy, faith, and fire and lay it down in these pages for history to hold onto. This collection gathers rural voices pushed to the margins—people of all ages, from all backgrounds, from places often erased and then spoken for.

Over 400 pieces came in, and while we couldn’t include them all, each piece reflected the care, insight, and creativity of the communities it came from. We are so grateful for those who shared their work with us.

This Labor Day feels like the perfect time to honor the voices sharing their stories of solidarity, resistance, and remembrance with open hearts and hands.

We can’t wait for you to read and celebrate these stories with us! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

08/06/2025

✨ Backwoods Literary Press at Josephine Sculpture Park ✨
Join us Friday, August 22 for an evening of poetry, music, and community under the stars.

📍 Josephine Sculpture Park, Frankfort, KY
🕢 7:30–10:30 PM (Backwoods program at 8:15 PM)
🎶 Poetry + Live Music + Outdoor Installations
💫 Free & open to all – bring friends & family!

We’ll share 45 minutes of intimate readings and music before the audience explores JSP’s sound and video installations throughout the park. Our lineup will feature: Belle Townsend, Jeri Howell, Willie Carver Jr., Bayley Amburgey, Trish Gibson, and Grace Rogers!

Come celebrate creativity, connection, and the voices of Backwoods Literary Press! 💛

07/19/2025

🚨 DEADLINE EXTENDED 🚨

We’ve heard from folks who needed a little more time—so we’re extending submissions for “Testament: A Rural Anthology” through Friday, July 26 at midnight.

We’re seeking writing and art that wrestles with belief, memory, q***rness, land, and the nuances of rural place.

Send us your work via the link in our bio!

Address

1405 E Magnolia Avenue
Knoxville, TN
37917

Website

http://Backwoodsliterarypress.com/

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