2026 Literary Hour Season Opens with Poet Kimberly Simms and Novelist David Plunkett

  Poet Kimberly Simms and novelist David Plunkett are the featured readers for the first Literary Hour of the 2026 season at the J.C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the Keith House.  Literary Hour is free and open to everyone who enjoys reading and writing poetry and prose.

Kimberly Simms

Kimberly Jane Simms (Gibbs) is an acclaimed Greenville poet, literary organizer, and educator whose voice is deeply rooted in the Southern tradition of storytelling, influenced by her British and Southern heritage. In her debut poetry collection, Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill, she chronicles the lives of textile workers in the Piedmont region with historical accuracy and imaginative insight.

Simms is a former Carl Sandburg National Historic Site Writer-in-Residence, a TedX speaker, and a slam pioneer turned literary curator. As the founder of the nonprofit Wits End Poetry—a thriving organization she has led since 2002—Simms has made significant contributions to the literary arts, organizing major literary festivals and fostering community engagement.

David Plunkett of Young Harris, GA, is author of the Chessboard Series thrillers, “Chessboard” and “Poisoned Pawn” which follow the adventures of Kathy and Al Sutton as they face intrigue and danger in the Middle East.  He is currently working on the final novel of the series, “End Game,” which will complete the trilogy.

The Literary Hour is hosted by well-known Murphy, NC, author Mary Jo Dyre, whose novel “Springheads” combines elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and fantasy to create a story of self-discovery.

The Literary Hour at the folk school brings local writers to the campus to share their work with the community.  It is sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network-West on every third Thursday of the month through October.  The public, and students and faculty of the school are welcome to attend the readings.

The John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes in folk arts and crafts and storytelling.  For information about the school, you can find its webpage and contact information at https://www.folkschool.org/.