Would-be ballerina Sara (Julia Stiles) is forced to abandon her dancing plans when she leaves her smalltown home and moves to live with her estranged father in the dangerous South Side of Chicago. As a white girl in a predominantly black neighbourhood, Sara finds it a struggle to settle in, but when she meets black fellow-dancer Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), she begins to feel much happier. The two set out together to realise their dreams, but as their relationship develops it brings forth major opposition from both their friends and their families, putting their future as a couple in jeopardy.

Based on extensive research, this book presents a timely and inventive examination of contemporary writers' festivals in an international context. It initiates an enquiry into literary events in an international media driven environment, arguing that the role of the media does not necessarily debase the quality of such festivals as some commentators have suggested. Theories employed and expanded upon in this work include those related to urban festivals and public culture, as well as Foucault's notion of 'heterotopias' and Genette's notion of 'intertextuality'. The Brisbane Writers Festival and Toronto's International Festival of Authors have been presented in the book as case studies to illustrate the suitability of a public culture vantage point in locating the key variables shaping these events today. As writers' festivals continue to grow in number and popularity, this analysis would benefit those involved in the programming and delivery of writers' festivals, authors, public intellectuals, publishing professionals, journalists and other media professionals, funding bodies, academics, readers and festival fans.