Two Literary Greats Added to Festival!

Blog followers and Facebook fans are the first to know that we have added two big names to the festival: Pearl Cleage and Daniel Wallace!

Pearl Cleage is a legendary author and playwright who catapulted to fame when her first novel, "What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day," became an Oprah Book club selection in 1998 and was listed on the New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks.

Daniel Wallace's first novel, "Big Fish," also achieved enormous success upon publication in 1998. It was turned into a major motion picture directed by Tim Burton and starring Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup and Jessica Lange. It was shot entirely in Alabama, mostly in Montgomery and Wetumpka.

Both authors have published extensively since the success of their first novels. They will be speaking, meeting fans and signing books at the festival on April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Old Alabama Town. The event is free and open to the public.

Book Festival Offers Writing Workshop for Teachers

On Friday, April 16, Alabama teachers grades 6-12 are invited to spend the day with four authors who will appear at the 5^th Annual Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery to learn about creative writing techniques and strategies for their students.

Each year in conjunction with the statewide book event, the Alabama Writers’ Forum produces the Festival’s education outreach program. The workshops are offered free of charge with generous funding from the Support the Arts Car Tag Fund and Vulcan Materials Company, as well as support from Troy University, Montgomery Campus and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

This year’s participatory writing workshops are designed to introduce teachers to new strategies for integrating creative writing into language arts and English curricula, as well as making use of new media such as blogs and Web site postings in other subject areas.

Poets Sean Hill (author of Blood Ties and Brown Liquor) and DéLana R.A. Dameron (author of the South Carolina Poetry Book Prize-awarded How God Ends Us) will lead the morning poetry workshops. Irene Latham (author of the young adult novel Leaving Gees Bend) will give a reading at the noon hour, and fiction writer and blogger A.M. Garner (author of Undeniable Truths) will lead the afternoon workshop on “Writing for the New Media.”

“We hope teachers will leave the workshop with ideas for new writing lessons and some writing of their own to inspire students,” said Alabama Writers’ Forum Executive Director Jeanie Thompson. “We are fortunate to have writers of this caliber with us to work with our Alabama teachers this year.”

“We have a limited number of slots for the workshops, so teachers are encouraged to register early. All slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis,” Thompson said.

Registration is required. Print out registration forms online at www.alabamabookfestival. org. Contact the Alabama Writers’ Forum at writersforum@bellsouth.net or call 334-265-7728 for more information.

Kudos to Festival's Kiddie Authors

Congratulations to juvenile fiction writers Irene Latham and Rachel Hawkins--who both will be attending this year's festival--for being named to the Kids' Next list of recommended reading for kids. The list is compiled by independent booksellers.

Volunteers Needed for 2010 Festival

The fifth annual Alabama Book Festival is gearing up for 2010 and needs volunteers to help make the April 17 event a success.
More than 50 authors, storytellers, publishers, illustrators and performers will gather at Old Alabama Town in downtown Montgomery to celebrate reading, writing and literature. The festival depends on volunteers to serve in a variety of
roles, including escorting authors, assisting at book signings, helping with children’s activities and greeting visitors at the front gate.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and commit to a two-hour shift. In appreciation of their efforts, visitors will receive a free festival t-shirt and the opportunity to earn a one-day admission ticket to Disney World or Disneyland, as part of Disney’s 2010 Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program. Register to volunteer online at http://www.alabamabookfestival.org. For
questions, contact volunteer coordinator Nancy Griggs at 334-844-4946 or griggns@auburn.edu.

Poster Unveiled

The Alabama Book Festival unveils its 2010 poster, a print of a original drawing by artist Arthur Price.

New Festival Website Launched

The new website for the Alabama Book Festival is now online at www.alabamabookfestival.org. Check it out for the latest information on the 2010 event!

Read Book Reviews on Participating Authors

Need to learn more about the authors coming to the Alabama Book Festival? Check out First Draft Book Reviews Online at www.writersforum.org. Recently reviewed book fest authors include Rick Bragg, Carolyn Haines, A.M. Garner, Foster Dickson, David Magee and Philip Shirley, and many more fiction and nonfiction writers. The Alabama Writers' Forum is again this year the proud sponsor of the Poetry Tent, and its Book Reviews page features or will soon Sue Brannan Walker, Mary Kaiser, Irene Latham, Robert Grey, Hank Lazer, and more.

Simply key your favorite author's name into the AWF Book Reviews Archive to read the latest reviews. These reviews also feature links to writers' Web sites and blogs.

Readers may also click the AWF First Draft link to discover interviews with or essays by many of the authors coming to the Alabama Book Festival 2010.