2008 W.VA. BOOK FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND: Admission free
Scene from last year’s W.Va. Book Festival, photo by Vic Burkhammer
Admission to the W.Va. Book Festival this weekend is free. Someone a little pinched for money asked me about that the other day.
It’s at the Charleston Civic Center, and of course, there will be plenty of opportunities to buy books, meet the writers, publishers and book store people. The festival promises to be a good time for people of all ages.
For a book festival overview and program schedule, list of program presenters and authors, all about the used book sale, and directions & accommodations, visit the festival home page online. The festival times: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 12. See you there. As I’ve said before, I’ll be in the VIP Room at 10 a.m. to introduce poet John Hoppenthaler.
Elsewhere around the festival, topics include writing about the Shakers, audiobook production, poetry readings including one by W.Va. poet laureate Irene McKinney, writing with children, concept imagery, Charleston Gazette Storybook Character Parade.
Davitt McAteer will talk about “Monongah” and how 550 men and boys lost their lives in the worst mine accident in the country’s history.
Ann Pancake will discuss her novel about moutaintop removal.
There will be storytelling, comic book artist Bob McLeod, Richard Paul Evans, free book appraisals by antiquarian book seller Jim Presgraves, Cheryl Ware on “Creating Memorable Characters From Personal Experience,” and much, much, much more. I think of Scott Shalaway, Jennifer Bradbury, a Read Aloud Art Contest, Romantic mystery writer Julia Spencer-Fleming, Patricia Spangler, Anna Egan Smucker, Barbara Rasmussen, a workshop on researching history by Kenneth R. Bailey, Ph.D., and award-winning illustrator Chris Soentpiet — something at the festival to interest everyone.
