Dubus legacy will be center of attention at Newburyport's weekend literature fest

The Newburyport Literary Festival, which honors the life and work of the late short-story writer and essayist Andre Dubus, debuts Friday and Saturday, with thousands of book lovers expected to attend.

The festival features more than 50 writers participating in readings, panel discussions, and interactive workshops at 40 downtown locations.

The events, which are free and open to the public, will cover a variety of writing topics, including poetry, mystery and crime, science fiction, sports, nature, historical fiction, fiction to film, young adult fiction, and children's books and illustrations.

''We have a wealth of writers and book lovers in this community, and we are really going to celebrate that," said Vicki Hendrickson, the festival's founder.

It kicks off Friday with a tribute to Dubus hosted by his son, Andre Dubus III of Newbury, author of ''House of Sand and Fog," at the Firehouse Center in Newburyport. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo, literary agent Philip Spitzer, and publisher David Godine also will participate.

The tribute continues Saturday with a panel discussion and reading, ''Thursday Night at Andre's," featuring four writers from a weekly writing group Dubus hosted for years. They will read from their works and talk about what they learned from their mentor.

Also on Saturday, professional actors will read short stories by a number of celebrated writers in addition to Dubus, who died of a heart attack in his Haverhill home in 1999. He was 62.

For a schedule of events, visit www.newburyportliteraryfestival.org.

WENDY KILLEEN