Georgia has 159 counties, many of which are rural and do not have the cultural advantages of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Georgia Writers Association, in cooperation with the Georgia Council for the Arts, provides literary grants to these underserved counties.
Small county libraries or literary organizations often cannot fund an author to come share from their work and do workshops for rural Georgia citizens. The Literary Events Grants of Georgia was established to provide grant monies to vetted Georgia authors to go to these venues.
Modeled after the National Endowment for the Arts and Poets and Writers of New York, Literary Event Grants of Georgia (LEGG) has another feature that encourages Georgia's writers to build audiences for their work. Authors are vetted through The Literacy Center at The Margaret Mitchell House and placed on the Georgia Writers Registry.
Only vetted Georgia authors qualify. Monies are given to the vetted authors for the approved venue in rural Georgia counties. There is a limit to the funds that are given to authors, and some venues do not qualify for grant monies.
Many rural counties have benefited from LEGG funding since its inception in 2007. The vetted author list has grown each year. The literary events have included writing festivals, library classes and camps. With continued funding, the Literary Event Grants of Georgia will grow in scope.