The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical (DBF) will have something for everyone – and every author. The festival, held Labor Day Weekend, August 29-31, on and around the Downtown Decatur Square, will host local and emerging authors and nationally acclaimed writers.
“We’re very excited about the nationally renowned authors, but we also want to create a forum for authors who haven’t gotten that big break,” said Daren Wang, DBF Executive Director.
The festival will host Kathy Reichs, forensic anthropologist and author, whose work inspired the popular television show “Bones”; Eric Jerome Dickey, author of bestselling popular fiction; Emily Giffin, bestselling author of “Love the One You’re With,” Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate; and others.
A few notable appearances by local and emerging authors include:
Kodac Harrison, an Atlanta singer/songwriter, spoken word poet, and chairman of Poetry Atlanta, will co-host the Java Monkey Invitational Poetry Slam with Regie Cabico on Saturday from 8-10 p.m. and co-host the Java Monkey Speaks Open Mic with Pulitzer Prize winning poet and Decatur resident Natasha Tretheway on Sunday from 8-10 p.m. Both slams will be at the Java Monkey Local Authors Stage.
Dan Veach, an Atlanta native, founder of Poetry Atlanta, and editor of the Atlanta Review, will talk about “Flowers of Flame,” his collection of Iraqi poetry, set to be published this fall, on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Java Monkey Local Authors Stage.
Randa Jarrar, an award-winning fiction author, who has lived in Kuwait, Egypt, New York, and currently, Michigan, will co-host a talk titled “Growing up the Way I Did” with Hadjii, an Athens-based author and filmmaker, on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Decatur Conference Center Auditorium.
Charles McNair, the book editor at Paste Magazine and host of a book show on WMLB 1690 AM, will talk about his Pulitzer Prize nominated novel, “Land O’Goshen,” on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. at the Java Monkey Local Authors Stage.
To hear more local and emerging authors, check out the Java Monkey Local Authors Stage and the Emerging and Exhibiting Authors Stage, or attend the Java Monkey Invitational Poetry Slam or the Java Monkey Speaks Open Mic to listen to local poets and spoken word artists.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical is the largest independent book festival in the country and one of the 10 largest overall. Each year, more than 250 authors and 50,000 festival goers crowd the historic downtown Decatur Square to enjoy book signings, author readings, panel discussions, an interactive children’s area, live music, parades, cooking demonstrations, poetry slams, writing workshops, and more.
Interviews available upon request.
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