Willows Bistro and Fiction Among Friends will collaborate to present actress/director/teacher Filomena Riviello at a June 27th daylong workshop on the subject “Effective Public Reading: How to read your work so people think you are the best writer since Dickens.” Riviello, who worked in New York City as a professional actress and director for over 20 years, has directed shows at ACC and for Our Town Theatre Group, and popular workshop leader for the Warrensburgh Historical Society’s Graveyard Walks, selected the subtitle.

“A lot of people don’t know that it was through public readings that Charles Dickens managed to sell his novels in America, where there was not a large market for them. He made a book tour here, and people were so moved by his readings, they bought his books,” Riviello said.

Persis Granger of Fiction Among Friends, with the help of Bistro owner Debbie Swan, created the Second Thursday Readings at Willows Bistro in Warrensburg to provide aspiring writers a time and place to read short selections from their works for the public. “All of the writers have enjoyed the opportunity,” she said, “but many realized that there is a lot to know about reading effectively. Enter Filomena!”

The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. and run until about 4 p.m., and the $40 fee will include a pre-selected luncheon. Those wishing to attend should reserve a spot by contacting Granger at PersisGranger@aol.com or 623-9305 as soon as possible, as enrollment is limited to ensure lots of individualized instruction. Writers are invited to bring as many short (about three minute) writing selections as they hope to work on. To learn more, visit “Fiction Among Friends at Willows Bistro”.