Southern Magic
Southern Magic is the Birmingham area chapter of the Romance Writers of America. The organization is formed of both authors and readers, and includes both women and men amongst its members. As of early 2007, 20 members of Southern Magic were either published or under contract with a publisher.1.
The purpose of the chapter is to "promote excellence in romantic fiction, to help writers become published and establish careers in their writing field, and to provide continuing support for writers within the romance publishing industry."2.
Southern Magic sponsors two programs a year, besides their monthly chapter meetings. Each spring they hold the Romance in the Magic City conference; in 2007, the conference was from March 30 through April 1. The conference features writing workshops, an author book signing, and meetings with literary agents and publishers for authors. Each fall, the Romance Reader's Luncheon features a prominent author in the romance genre. Both events are open to non-members.
The chapter also gives two awards each year: The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for published authors, and The Linda Howard Award of Excellence for non-published authors. Gayle Wilson and Linda Howard are both award winning romance authors who live in Alabama and are members of Southern Magic. Gayle Wilson is the immediate past president of the national Romance Writers of America.
The name "Southern Magic" derives from Birmingham's nickname, the "Magic City".
References
- Southern Magic published/contracted authors - accessed February 8, 2007
- Southern Magic website - accessed February 8, 2007
External links
- Southern Magic website
- Romance in the Magic City conference website
- Romance Writers of America website