It was the age of the audience, not the content of her catalog, that led Knox County Public Library to pull nationally known Knoxville author Julia Watts from its inaugural teen literature festival, the library said Wednesday.

Watts, whose fiction often focuses on growing up in Appalachia with a sense of feeling different or not fitting in, is a Kentucky native but has lived in Knoxville for more than 20 years. Her young adult novels "Finding H.F.," about the experience of being a lesbian teen in the Bible Belt, and "Quiver," which focuses on teens growing up dealing with culture wars around religion and politics, are both award-winning and critical favorites.

That's why she was recommended as an author for the "LitUp Festival: Arts and Innovation for the Next Generation," the library's new teen-centric festival in downtown Knoxville from 1-7 p.m. on Oct. 13. It's set to include not only author talks but writing workshops, spoken word performances, a book-themed escape room and a scavenger hunt. Also planned: career talks with area business leaders and ORNL's Traveling Science Fair, with six carnival-style, interactive trailers.

Until Friday, Watts' name and bio was on the festival web site among a host of other authors and performers participating. But on Friday, she said, she got a call uninviting her from the festival because of a separate body of work from her young adult-offerings: lesbian fiction/erotica.

Body of work 'inappropriate'

Watts said she was shocked and hurt by the call, in part because she's been very involved with the library, participating in other programs. She said she didn't get to talk to the festival organizers directly to address their concerns.

"Things could have gone a lot better if there had just been more open communication," Watts said.

Mary Pom Claiborne, assistant director for marketing, communications and development for the library, called the discussion among festival organizers "anguishing."

"We love Julia," Claiborne said.

But Claiborne said the library's "misstep" was its failure to consider the youthfulness of its expected audience. Though the first-time festival is advertised at aiming for 13-to-18-year-olds, she said, the bulk of youth attendees are expected to be between 12 and 15.

"It ... came to our attention that some of her work is described as erotica and is inappropriate for teens," Claiborne said. "Based on that alone, the library decided to change course. We have reached out to Ms. Watts to offer our sincere apology, and deeply regret this situation."

The library did not expect Watts to read from or reference the adult material, but it didn't want to be perceived as promoting her entire body of work at a festival for young teens, Claiborne said.

'Erotica' classification is new, but the concept is not

Watts said "erotica" is a subjective term. Though some of her adult books are classified as such, they're "very mild, almost romantic," she said.

And she's far from being the first young adult author to write adult novels in other genres. Authors Norma Klein and Judy Blume, ground-breakers in the young adult genre, are among those who also wrote racy fiction for adults.

In particular, Watts said, her own books labeled "erotica" are "far less explicit" than Blume's 1978 "Wifey," about a bored suburban housewife who trades in her "wifely duties" for wild fantasies.

At that time, it wasn't common to classify such books as erotica. Now, the genre is more mainstream, with a young adult erotica subgenre that includes popular series authors such as Elle Kennedy and Abbi Glines.

"I just feel like libraries are at the forefront of freedom of speech and freedom of expression," Watts said. "I go write in the library all the time. A lot of the stuff that shocked people, I probably wrote there."

Knoxville's poet laureate, Marilyn Kallet, said she withdraw from the festival after Watts was uninvited.

"My workshop would have been on writing poetry in your own voice," Kallet said. "Under the circumstances, it would have been hypocritical to offer that. As writers we need to stand up for one another, and to require being treated with dignity and trust."

Representing 'diverse' teens is goal

Claiborne said the library is in no way censoring Watts. Several of her books are available on the shelves, Claiborne said. And she said an author who wrote heterosexual erotica would not be any more appropriate as a speaker at a festival for young teens.

But the library "looked for authors representing diverse genres in teen literature, including LGBTQ authors," for the festival, she said.

Missouri author Adib Khorram has verbally committed to the festival, Claiborne said. Khorram is best known for "Darius the Great is Not Okay," about a clinically depressed boy visiting his grandparents in Iran who develops a relationship with the boy next door.

Reflecting real teens

Watts said one of her reasons for writing young adult novels is so teens can see themselves reflected in literature — not only LGBTQ teens, but also teens of different ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses, and those living in rural areas.

"Rural life is very different, even from life in a city the size of Knoxville," Watts said. "I think it's important to have people at these events kids can see themselves mirrored in."

Though she's enjoyed writing all her books, those for children and those for adults, she said, "I like everything about" writing for youth. This semester, she began pursuing her doctoral degree in children's and young adult literature from the University of Tennessee. UT's Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature is one of the festival's sponsors.

"I think there are some people who can kind of feel their way back into what it was like to be a certain age and put themselves in that emotional state," she said. "I wouldn't want to go back to being 15 in real life."