Have you always wanted to meet more than 50 national best-selling and award-winning authors in one place, virtually in your backyard? Well, you can on May 21. But wait! There’s more!
What about taking a course, or two, to hone your writing skills? You can on May 21, too. But wait! There’s more!
Maybe you’re looking for an outside activity for your kids that will cure cabin fever and be educational to boot? If so, then look no further than the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday, May 21. But wait! Yes, there’s even more!
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Admission is free! There’s also free parking and a free shuttle from Lakeforest Mall. Where else can you meet your favorite authors, have your books signed and spend an entire day having fun with the family for free? Those places are few and far between these days!
But that’s enough of the infomercial that’s worthy of Anthony Sullivan or Billy Mays. I now return you to your regularly scheduled Patch column about the Gaithersburg Book Festival, where this month you’ll get an update on what’s on the menu for this great event that’s putting Gaithersburg on the literary map.
Find out what's happening in Gaithersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Here are some highlights of the Gaithersburg Book Festival, which is happening on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the grounds of City Hall in Olde Towne Gaithersburg:
- Nationally Known and Award-Winning Authors – The organizers of the Gaithersburg Book Festival have put together a stunning line-up of more than 50 featured authors – including current national best-sellers, and winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Newbery Medal and National Book Award. Our featured authors are likely names you know and their books run the gamut from fiction to non-fiction, from mystery to poetry. Current best-sellers include Elizabeth Berg (“Open House” and “Say When”), Alex Berenson (“The Faithful Spy”), Eleanor Brown (“The Weird Sisters”), Rita Mae Brown (the “Mrs. Murphy” series) and Paula McLain (“The Paris Wife”), to name just a few. Also on the agenda are NPR’s Alan Cheuse and Scott Simon, and Amy Dickinson, who pens the syndicated “Ask Amy” advice column that runs in the Washington Post. The topics these authors cover vary widely, too, and include the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy, slavery and strife in the Middle East, entertaining chick lit, cooking demonstrations and Redskins’ history.
- Keynote Author Matt Logelin – His might not be a familiar name, but his book "Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love,” which was released April 14, will inspire you. Matt’s story details the aftermath of his wife Liz’s death from a pulmonary embolism just 27 hours after giving birth to their first child, Madeline. While his story is absolutely tragic, it is also uplifting. Matt talks about how he moved on from such a devastating event by focusing on a new daughter that needed his love and attention, and who unknowingly gave him the support he needed, as well as the extraordinary online community of strangers who have become his friends through his blog. Matt’s keynote address will be delivered at 4 p.m.
- Children’s Village – Young readers and writers can explore the world of literature in the festival’s Children’s Village. The centerpiece of the village is a group of fantastic featured children’s authors on the Pavilion stage, who will talk about their stories and sign books. These authors include Newbery Award winner Clare Vanderpool, National Book Award winner Kathryn Erskine, American Girl author Alison Hart, Mary Quattlebaum, N.D. Wilson, Erica Perl, Mary Downing Hahn, Brian Meehl, Wendy Shang, Pam Smallcomb, Mary Amato, Dominique Paul, and several local up and comers. In and around the Children’s Village, kids will be able to take part in American Girl activities, learn how to do artistic book binding, attend story time and workshops, and donate new or gently used books at the Reading Tree booth. They may even run into the Cat in the Hat strolling around the festival grounds.
- Workshops – You can explore your inner writer at one – or more – of the festival’s workshops. Topics range from writing books, comedy, college admissions essays and graphic novels to promoting your work, getting your poems published, and succeeding in a freelance writing career. Advance registration for the workshops is required, and nominal fees apply.
- GBF Coffee House – Hear music from local singer/songwriters and poetry readings at the festival’s Coffee House. You’ll even have the chance to listen to D.C. area high school students – the finalists of our first Short Story writing contest – read their work, and find out who wins the top three prizes.
- State of the Book panel discussion – In this first for the festival, we’re bringing together a distinguished group of book industry leaders to discuss whether books are a dying medium or if reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. This thought-provoking discussion will be moderated by Michael Norris, a reporter, editor and analyst for Book Publishing Report, and features Mark LaFramboise, a book buyer and bookseller from Politics & Prose; Jed Lyons, publisher of Rowman & Littlefield and CEO of one of the nation’s largest book distribution companies, National Book Network; Gail Ross, president and founder of Washington, D.C.’s Ross Yoon Agency; and Geoff Shandler, New York City-based editor-in-chief of Little Brown & Company.
By now, I’m sure you can see for yourself that the 2011 Gaithersburg Book Festival offers something for everyone – whether you have kids that are just learning to read or you’re an adult who has an appreciation for the craft of the written word and the stories that talented writers produce. We invite you to visit our website – www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org – for more details about the festival and a schedule of the day’s activities. And more importantly we invite you to join us on May 21 – and bring your friends and family – for a day to remember.
Gail Norris is a self-employed communications and public relations consultant and the co-chair of the Public Relations Committee for the Gaithersburg Book Festival (www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org).