By Laura Good
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
They've spent years refining their style and sharpening their skills. They enlighten readers with excitement, truth and creativity. They bring life to the pages.
Some call them authors, others call them artists.
This week, University students and Charlottesville residents will have the opportunity to hear them speak.
The Virginia Festival of the Book, an annual public celebration for children and adults, features authors and book-related professionals.
At this year's eighth annual festival, produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, authors will speak on a variety of topics ranging from poetry and fiction, to cooking and travel, to mystery and family issues. There also will be special children's events for Charlottesville's youth.
The event begins March 20 and runs until March 24.
"The Festival of the Book is a really exciting collection of events," said Patsy Goolsby, an assistant manager at the University Bookstore. "There are events at all of the bookstores and many of the libraries and schools [in Charlottesville]. Some years there have even been events at the ice rink."
Last year, the festival featured over 300 writers in 230 programs with attendance reaching 15,000 people.
Scheduled events for this year's festival include author readings, speeches and book signings, a day of children's authors and storybook characters, a publishing panel, book club discussions, a workshop on book-binding and a discussion on free lancer's rights.
Almost every aspect of the festival is organized and generated by volunteer committees and with the exception of the Festival Luncheon and Saturday Evening Reception, all programs are free of charge.
The Women's Center is co-sponsoring several events, one of which will feature author Joyce Allan's discussion of child sexual abuse. Allan's presentation, "A Time to Speak," will discuss her experiences during the years she spent writing her memoir about five generations of incest and pedophilia in her own family.
Although many of the events take place off Grounds, students can participate in the festival without traveling too far. The University is sponsoring events at the University Bookstore, the Rotunda, Culbreth Theater, Wilson Hall and McCloud Hall.
Students can find out more about the individual programs and authors by picking up a copy of the Festival of the Book schedule of events in the University Bookstore.
Read More
Dreaming of drunken noodles at Thai Cuisine and Noodle House
By Lizzy Goldstein | 1 hours agoI was amazed by how the tamarind sauce and variety of spices created a cohesive link among all the dishes, tying the dinner together and leaving everyone feeling satiated.
Breaking my silence
By Cecy Juárez | 2 days agoI, Cecy Juárez, am one of the three “squirrels of U.Va.” running the @thesquirrelsofuva page.
Lending a hand during the finals push
By Abby Snowdon | 4 days agoThe race to the end of the year has begun, and University groups have set up pit stops along the course to help students get to the finish line.
