This weekend, I'm headed down 1-65 to the Southern Festival of Books. The annual event, held in Downtown Nashville, showcases Southern authors across a variety of genres and interests. As a reader and writer, I'm thrilled to be attending. As a Kentuckian, I'm thrilled to see the Bluegrass State represented so well.

Mama Judd will be there. So will George Ella Lyon and Bobbie Ann Mason. Silas House and Jason Howard are both presenting. There's also a bunch of new Kentucky talent -- poets, professors, and librarians who've recently published.

Of course, there's non-Kentuckians, too. Folks like Buzz Bissinger, R.L. Stine, and Gillian Flynn. There's a guy who's speaking about the politics of SEC football. There are historians, chefs, and musicians. In fact, there are over 250 authors reading, presenting, and joining in on the festivities.

I'll be checking in here on HerKentucky all weekend. I hope to give y'all some updates, photos and fun insights. I'll also be updating on twitter (@heathercw) as I go. I'm pretty excited!

Who's your favorite Southern writer?