TURNERS FALLS — Human Error Publishing will host its Great Falls Word Festival on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Shea Theater Arts Center, where local writers, poets and book publishers will celebrate 15 years of storytelling.

Starting at noon, authors and publishing houses from across the region will sell books in a variety of genres in the Shea Theater lobby. Then from 12:30 to 5 p.m., an open poetry and storytelling session will be held, with each speaker being given five minutes on stage.

At 7:30 p.m., Human Error Publishing owner Paul Richmond will perform with the musical and commentary improv group “Do It Now,” featuring percussionist Tony Vacca and guitarist John Sheldon.

Richmond said western Massachusetts has a large number of storytellers, inspiring him to create a festival for poetry that eventually shifted into storytelling of any type.

“I knew there were a lot of writers in our area,” Richmond said. “How come we’re not having a festival?”

Prior to the pandemic, the Great Falls Word Festival had roughly 170 storytellers participating over three days, and since then the festival has tried to reach its pre-pandemic numbers again. Now, to celebrate 15 years, Richmond hopes the 2024 event acts as a celebration of local writers and storytellers.

“I’m calling it a celebration of acknowledging that there was this effort for 15 years to bring the various writing groups and publishers [together], and acknowledge how many local writers there are, and try to get people there,” Richmond explained.

A unique element of the festival that Richmond has tried to cultivate since the start is the welcoming nature for writers at any level.

“It’s very inclusive. There’s a lot of different types of writing,” Richmond said, adding that for many participants, it will be their first time sharing their work at the Great Falls Word Festival. “Sometimes [it’s] a person who just wrote a poem on a napkin while they were sitting there, and then the next person has written eight books or something.”

This year, people will be able to listen to writers speak, and can purchase their books or products as part of the book fair. Because the festival structure is open to anyone, Richmond also feels this acts as a practice of democracy — all voices can be heard and their stories shared.

Outside of the festival, Richmond, who also offers a long-running literary series at The LAVA Center in Greenfield, said he’s seen what it means for people to be able to use their voices, and the Great Falls Word Festival expands upon this idea.

“The United States is not very united at the moment,” he said, adding, “I wanted a place to expand what people think of as poetry. ... It’s about you being able to feel free to do that, and then it will resonate or not with anybody.”

The festival is free to attend, though sliding-scale donations of $6 to $20 are recommended to the Shea Theater for the “Do It Now” performance. More information can be found at sheatheater.org/d/20076/Human-Error-Publishing-Presents:-Great-Falls-Word-Festival.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or
413-930-4231.