Alabama - Florida
ALABAMA
Alabama Book Festival
Location: Montgomery
Date: April (2011 dates to be announced)
The Alabama Center for the Book runs this festival, which includes appearances and signings by local, regional, and national authors, discussions, exhibitors, and special children’s activities.
Alabama Bound
Location: Birmingham
Date: March
This book festival is hosted by the Birmingham Public Library, and focuses on Alabama writers and writing. Listen to authors read and talk and get books signed. You’ll also meet Alabama publishers and editors of magazines as well as representatives of writing groups.
ALASKA
Alaska Book Festival
Location: Fairbanks
Date: July 14, 21, 28; August 11 & 18, 2010
Alaska likes its festival to focus on “those who write about the Great Land,” and it does so by bringing together “readers, authors, educators, poets, artists, publishers, librarians, photographers, reviewers, and editors to celebrate the power of the written word.” Events includes special ones for children as well as lectures, readings, signings, panel discussions, history walks, music, and more.
ARIZONA
Northern Arizona Book Festival
Location: Flagstaff
Date: April (2011 dates to be announced)
This festival uses historic downtown Flagstaff and local colleges to provide a “link between basic literacy efforts and artistic literary endeavors.” It has a fabulous array of events, but what’s a bit different about this one is that these are going on for months in advance of the actual festival weekend and include writing workshops, fundraising affairs and more.
Tucson Festival of Books
Location: Tucson
Date: March 10-11, 2012
More than 300 authors, 200 vendors, and fifteen stage areas promise to make this three-day festival one of the largest in the country. Activities include lectures, interviews, book signings, writing workshops and contests, poetry readings, book reviews and panel discussions, interactive stage presentations, children’s activities (including a magic show, hands-on crafts, readings by famous children’s authors, the opportunity to meet children’s book characters, giant chess and checkers games, and free books), music and dance, and an opening night gala reception.
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Book & Paper Show
Location: Jacksonville
Date: August 14-15, 2010
Displays and offerings by more than three dozen book or paper dealers and 15 to 20 authors. Attendees will find antiquarian books, leather bound books, rare books, books with fine bindings, modern first editions, and bargain books in a wide range of genres as well as maps, postcards, photographs, and related ephemera.
Arkansas Literary Festival
Location: Little Rock
Date: April 12-15, 2012
Among the many and varied offerings are several special events (lectures, an evening with the authors, live theatre, a play reading, lunch on the lawn at the Governor’s mansion), panels, presentations, talks, author signings, workshops for writers, special children’s and teens events, and more. This festival seems to go all out for their annual event.
Books in Bloom
Location: Eureka Springs
Date: May (2011 dates to be announced)
This festival is one of the kick-off events for the their Festival of Arts, and offers an array of authors speaking and signing on various literary interests. It takes place in an exceptionally pretty location too.
CALIFORNIA
Central Coast Book Festival
Location: San Luis Obispo
Date: September 19, 2010
This delightfully small town festival has a children’s events area with storytelling and crafts as well as entertainment, music, talks, workshops, panels and signings by local and visiting authors.
Golden Gate Park Book Fair
Location: San Francisco
Date: October 24, 2010
Calling itself “San Francisco’s Great One Day Book Sale,” this fair offers booklovers the opportunity to buy used, vintage, rare, and collectible books and ephemera.
International Antiquarian Book Fair
Location: Alternates between Los Angles (even years) and San Francisco (odd years)
Date: February 10-12, 2012
Each year the fair’s design concept takes a theme; in 2010, it is about great books turned into great movies with a focus on those that won Best Picture at the annual Academy Awards. The fair’s exhibitors will be offering books created in every genre over five centuries, including the history of travel & exploration (including maps), early science and medicine, technology & manufacture, law and commerce, children’s books, literature and the arts, twentieth-century literature, and much more. There will also be free seminars. Tickets that allow admission, and return entry, on all three days are fifteen dollars; if purchased on Saturday or Sunday they are ten dollars.
Latino Book & Family Festival
Location: Los Angeles
Month: October 6-7, 2012
Launched in 1997, this weekend event has already expanded to several major markets, and is planning for more in the near future. It is co-hosted by actor and activist Edward James Olmos. it is an incredible event that includes books and authors (naturally) as well as vendors in career and education, crafts and travel, health, and home ownership. They have several stages, food courts, an art exhibition theatre, science, and a Writing Exhibition.
Literary Orange
Location: Irvine
Date: April (2011 dates to be announced)
A full day of authors including three keynote speakers and a choice of panels in three sessions plus lunch.
Litquake
Location: San Francisco
Month: October 1-9, 2010
Celebrating city’s reputation as a literary and arts center as well as the earthquake-prone area that it is, Litquake showcases more than 450 authors in twenty-two events spread over the course of a week at various theatres, bars, galleries, retail outlets, laundromats, even libraries and bookstores. For the first time, they are including a Goth Hop. An amazing festival.
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Location: West Los Angeles
Date: April (2011 dates to be announced)
Possibly the largest book festival in the nation, this two-day extravaganza of authors (more than 400), exhibitors (more than 300), 100 panels and conversations, six outdoor stages with continuous entertainment, two large children’s areas and nearly 130,000 happy attendees is fabulous. Attend if you can.
Orange County Children’s Book Festival
Location: Costa Mesa
Date: October 3, 2010
This festival includes three different stages (animal, international and sports) with authors and vendors of books related to them, an entertainment stage, and panels. More than 80 vendors and a dozen renowned illustrators, who will talk about and demonstrate their work, will be there. Food and drink as well as an abundance of children’s activities such as face painting, clowns, musicians, readings and drawings are guaranteed to keep children of all ages happy.
Pasadena Antiquarian Book, Print and Paper Fair
Location: Pasadena
Date: February 6-7, 2012
This fair features antiquarian dealers offering rare and collectable books and related ephemera. Admission cost is seven dollars and includes return privileges.
Riverside Dickens Festival
‘Location: Riverside
Date: January 7-8, 2012
One of the more unusual book festivals, this one, devoted to the immutable Charles Dickens, takes as its theme in 2010, “A Visit to the Old Curiosity Shop.” Plays, street performers, food vendors, educational workshops, musical performances, pageants, living history presentations, workshops, lectures, classroom study, exhibits and a street bazaar with free entertainment, vendors and costumed characters are just a few of the events planned.
Sacramento Antiquarian Book Fair
Location: Sacramento
Date: September 18, 2010
Approximately sixty dealers will be selling used, collectable and rare books including first editions, art, aviation, California history, children's, cookbooks; local history, military, natural history, science fiction, western Americana), pamphlets, ephemera, autographs, photographs, and more. Admission is five dollars.
Santa Monica Book Fair
Location: Santa Monica
Date: September 11-12, 2010
This fair features antiquarian dealers offering rare and collectable books and related ephemera. Admission cost is seven dollars and includes return privileges.
Sonoma County Book Festival
Location: Santa Rosa
Date: September 25, 2010
Downtown becomes a book city when this festival happens with readings, presentations and book signings by numerous authors, panel discussions and other book-inspired activities, staged music and art, children’s activities, and more than 50 exhibitors with wares to please everyone.
Steinbeck Festival
Location: Salinas
Date: August 5-8, 2010
Honoring their most famous son, the city of Salinas puts on this special festival with special events built around an annual theme. In 2009, the theme is “Legends, Myth and Magic.” Included will be a film festival, a Renaissance music performance, theatrical stage fight demonstrations, tours, talks, as well as the “Feast at the Fox” evening with a four-course dinner, local wines, live music, and speakers.
Ventura Book Fair
Location: Ventura
Date: July 17, 2010
A small but wonderful local festival featuring more than four dozen exhibitors, and a good selection of authors and presentations throughout the day.
West Hollywood Book Fair
Location: Hollywood
Date: September 26, 2010
An eclectic literary event, this festival is quite large, hosting more than 300 authors, 12 stages and 100 vendors. There is live storytelling, theater, poetry readings and performances, and writing workshops in the categories of comics/SF/manga/horror, fiction, LGBT, politics and culture, arts and entertainment, children and family, mystery/crime/suspense and how-to for writers. More than 20,000 readers and booklovers show up for this wonderful one.
COLORADO
Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair
Location: Denver
Date: August 6-7, 2010
Dealers in vintage and antiquarian books, maps, prints, posters, art, postcards, photographs, and other ephemeral and collectible item will be here to share their wares.
CONNECTICUT:
Connecticut Children’s Book Fair
Location: Storrs
Date: November 13-14, 2010
Two days of meeting the authors and illustrators of children’s book await those who brave the winter. Offerings include breakfast with storybook characters, storytelling, crafts, holiday shopping, book signings and much more. A family-oriented weekend.
Rabbit Hill Festival of Literature
Location: Westport
Date: October 21-23, 2010
Though open to the public, this festival focuses primarily on literature for middle grade (and elementary) students; it even offers course credit. Running Thursday, Friday and Saturday, it includes tours, lectures, author presentations, book signings and a dinner with the guest authors.
FLORIDA
Amelia Island Book Festival
Location: Amelia Island
Date: February 17-18, 2012
A desire to make their home known as a “book island,” the founders created this event where that offers readers the opportunity to hear their favorite authors talk and read their own work, attend workshops, and enjoy signings, luncheons, a cruise and parties, and schedule agent pitches in a historic town. Part of the event includes the “Authors-in-Schools” day where children get to meet those who make their living through words.
Book Mania!
Location: Stuart
Date: January 21, 2012
This festival opens with a special evening called “A Signature Event” that changes each year, then on Saturday offers up an entire day of authors, panels, and discussions with enough variety to keep everyone interested. Book signings also take place all day long. Children have their own events including entertainment and appearances by authors and illustrators.
Festival of Reading
Location: St. Petersburg
Date: March (2011 dates to be announced)
With a large array of authors, quite a few vendors and a special Children’s Storyland with costumed characters, games and activities, this festival is one not to be missed if possible.
Key West Literary Seminar
Location: Key West
Date: January 5-8, 2012
Different but still a kind of festival based on a love of books and reading, this seminar explores a literary theme through lectures, panel presentations, readings, informal gatherings, discussions, and parties based on an annual theme. In 2010, that theme will be “Clearing the Sill of the World,” a celebration of sixty years of American poetry.
Miami Book Fair International
Location: Miami
Date: November 11-19, 2012
This rather amazing festival goes all out with a Children’s Alley with storytelling, puppets, theatrical performances, games and activities; an International Village featuring literature, fine arts, culture, wines and folkloric traditions from around the world; the three-day street fair (November 13-15) with hundreds of booksellers and exhibitors; an Antiquarian Annex with exhibitors specializing in collectibles; and a Write Out Loud café that showcases writers, performance artists and monologuists.
Southwest Florida Reading Festival
Location: Ft. Myers
Date: March 17, 2012
Events at this festival include various author programs, a festival marketplace, Authors’ Alley, a keynote speaker and a dance performance, a writing workshop, a luncheon Meet & Greet and several special evening events for adults. Events for children include storytelling, a writing contest, a free books, shows, a bookmobile and much more. Teen’s events include contests and giveaways, presentations by graphic novelists and other YA writers, a marketplace and more. There are also events in Spanish.
ZORA! Festival
Location: Eatonville
Date: January 21-20, 2012
This festival celebrates the life and work of the famous writer, folklorist, and anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston, and her hometown of Eatonville, the nation’s oldest African American municipality. The event features museum exhibitions, public talks, panel discussions, workshops, and concerts, and culminates in a three-day Outdoor Festival of the Arts, with events ranging from literacy programs for children to performances, competitions, art, an international marketplace, a health village, an international food pavilion, and more.
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