The Annual FocusLit Fundraiser Will Be June 1 Tuesday, May 4, 2021 - photo by Tom Rankin Southern Lit Alliance is bringing back the FocusLit fundraiser as they work to encourage engaged and passionate readers and writers with their literary festivals, author lectures, writing contests for grades K-12, writing workshops, and writing groups in area jails. This year’s fundraiser will be held on June 1 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom, and will be a double feature, as New York Times bestselling author Jill McCorkle is interviewed by author Lee Smith. The two will discuss McCorkle’s novel Hieroglyphics. Lee Smith is the author of Blue Marlin, The Last Girls, and seven other novels; she’s won multiple awards, including the Lifetime Literary Achievement Award from the state of Virginia.