KNOXVILLE — Local artists’ colony, Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is thrilled and honored to be the South Regional Winner of the 2014 LitBridge Reading Series Contest.

Judged entirely on nominations from readers and supporters, the SAFTA Reading Series topped those of literary organizations across seventeen southern states to win this prestigious award. In addition to being publicly recognized by the online LitBridge community, SAFTA received a monetary prize of $150 to help continue their artistic involvement in the Knoxville area and beyond.

The SAFTA Reading Series was established in November, 2013 and has since hosted a succession of noteworthy performers from across the United States including Marilyn Kallet, T.A. Noonan, Jan LaPerle, Kevin Brown, and many more. Currently, the series is held monthly at Te Birdhouse, a Victorian-era home turned Neighborhood Center in Knoxville’s charming Fourth and Gill neighborhood.

Reviewers of the SAFTA Reading Series said it was “one of the best readings I’ve been to, and I’ve been to a lot,” and “readings at Te Birdhouse are fun and engaging — I’ve loved every reader that has come!”

LitBridge is an online literary association that aims to promote and develop the professionalization of members of the collective writing community. Teir Reading Series Contest honors new reading series that display excellence and maintain high ratings from readers and attendees.

The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is an artists' colony on a 29-acre farm in Knoxville,Tennessee, that hosts workshops, retreats, and residencies for writers, actors, flmmakers, and visual artists. All participants are guided by experienced, professional instructors from a variety of creative disciplines who are dedicated to cultivating the arts in Eastern Tennessee. For more information on the academy, visit www.sundresspublications.com/safta/.