Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors is a mecca for readers and writers
15th annual festival will be held Sept. 5-8 in Winston-Salem.
15th annual festival will be held Sept. 5-8 in Winston-Salem
By Judie Holcomb-Pack
If you find reading a good book is a way to experience adventures from the comfort of an easy chair; or a way to get to know people, both famous and infamous; or a means to escape into history or fantasy on a rainy afternoon, then Bookmarks is for you!
Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors is the largest book festival in the Carolinas, attracting more than 12,000 attendees. More than 50 local, regional and national authors, including fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and young adult authors, poets and storytellers, will visit Winston-Salem over the course of four days, offering keynote talks, book signings, discussions, eat and greet, and more.
On Friday, Sept. 6, there will be a cookbook talk and sampling with Belinda Smith-Sullivan at 10:30 a.m. at Dewey’s Bakery at Thruway Shopping Center. Smith-Sullivan is the author of “Just Peachy,” a new cookbook containing 70 peach-infused recipes. She will discuss the various types of peaches, growing and preparing peach dishes, with a free tasting of samples. Her cookbook will also be available for purchase on site.
On Saturday, Sept. 7 at 9:30 a.m., the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, in collaboration with the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department, is sponsoring “Story Time” in Winston Square Park. Story Time is for pre-school age children and their families and admission is free.
The Festival itself is free and will take place on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts and the surrounding area on Spruce and Holly Streets in downtown Winston-Salem. There will be over 50 exhibitors featuring publishers, self-published authors, writing groups, food trucks and more. Activities include author sessions, creative activities for children, panel discussions on a variety of topics, as well as an interactive event for aspiring writers to get immediate feedback on their work from editors and agents.
Events include:
*Author sessions on various topics at Calvary Moravian Church, 600 Holly Ave.
*Workshops for writers and teens at Hanesbrands Theatre, 209 N. Spruce St.
*Kid’s area with storytelling and author talks, presentations and workshops at Mountcastle Forum and Reynolds Place Theatre in the Milton Rhodes Center.
*Additional events at Booksmarks book store and Footnote Café at 624 W. Fourth St. , including an interactive event for aspiring writers to get immediate feedback on their work from editors and agents.
And if you work up an appetite, there’s an area with food trucks aplenty.
On Sunday, Sept. 8, the closing event will be a Festival Brunch with Parapalooza at Footnotes at 11 a.m. The brunch will offer an opportunity to meet more than 15 of the festival authors. Signed books will be available for purchase. Over brunch, each author will share from their work. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at www.bookmarksnc.org.
Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors truly has something to interest every reader and genre of books. Check out their website for details of all the events, a list of authors who will be attending, and to purchase admission to ticketed events. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in all things books!
Bookmarks is a literary arts nonprofit organization that engages, inspires and connects readers with authors and books. For more information, visit www.bookmarksnc.org.
