Famous Authors Help Bring First Capital BookFest to Charleston

Oct. 18, 2010 - PRLog -- On Saturday, November 6, 2010, from 10 am to 6 pm, more than 100 authors, poets, storytellers, and exhibitors will descend onto the grounds of the Charleston County Public Library for a free, fun, and festive day of author readings, children’s activities, film screenings, and panel discussions. The brainchild of poet and publisher Kwame Alexander, the Capital BookFest is celebrating its 6th year.

“The Capital BookFest has been such a success in the Washington, DC area that our visitors
and authors asked for additional opportunities to share this fun event with even more families,” says an enthusiastic Alexander. “This year will prove to be an even greater success as we touch down in Washington, DC, Harrisburg, PA, and Charleston, SC families with our informative and entertaining programs. We’re all very excited to share the Capital BookFest with thousands of Lowcountry writers and booklovers – for free.”

Alexander brought the idea to Marjory Wentworth, South Carolina’s Poet Laureate, and Carol Ann Davis, Professor of English at the College of Charleston—both also founders of the Lowcountry Initiative for Literary Arts (LILA). “Charleston is home to some of America’s most loved authors, and I just wondered why we didn’t have a book festival here. It just makes sense, culturally. It is also a vehicle to inspire young people,” says Wentworth.” The festival will feature national and local authors including: Celebrities Mary Alice Monroe, Nikki Giovanni, Gary Smith, Victoria Rowell, Roscoe Orman, Anton Gunn, Batt Humphreys, Bertice Berry, Beth Webb Hart, Bret Lott, Bryan Penberthy, Clay Rice, Donna Ebron, Donna Hill, Dori Sanders, E. B. Lewis, Erik Calonius, Holly Herrick, Jack Bass, Kate Jerome, Marcus Amaker, Margot Theis Raven Giovanni, Patti Callahan Henry, Rose Rock, Savannah Frierson, Sonia Sanchez, Susan Laughter Meyers, Tannarive Due, and 19 year-old novelist & Harvard freshman Noni Carter.

Of special note are two special literacy outreach programs of Capital BookFest Charleston will. As part of our ongoing commitment to celebrate the literary arts and promote literacy, each year Capital BookFest publishes a new book, gives away copies to the first 1000 festival attendees, and offers remaining copies for sale. This year, we will publish Indigo Blume and the Garden City, a children’s picture book. In conjunction with the College of Charleston’s Literacy Outreach Initiative, we will take several children and young adult authors into local elementary, middle and high schools to conduct read-alouds, writing workshops, and publishing seminars. High school student authors from this program will be featured on a panel at the Capital BookFest.

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The Capital BookFest Charleston is presented by CreateSpace, LILA, and the College of
Charleston. Major sponsors include: Charleston County Public Library, Pressque Editing,
Earth Fare, Barnes & Noble, Blue Bicycle Books, Atlas Technologies, and the Becket
Agency.

For a complete schedule of events and more detailed information about Capital BookFest,
visit http://www.capitalbookfest.org or check out the official Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/capitalbookfest. Follow the Capital BookFest on Twitter at @capitalbookfest.