The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical (DBF) continued to grow in its third year, bringing more than 250 authors and 70,000 bibliophiles to the downtown Decatur Square over Labor Day weekend.
Friday Field Trips packed the square with Decatur students during the day, and Friday night brought a standing room only crowd for the keynote address by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. That theme would continue throughout the weekend.
“We were thrilled with the success of the past two festivals, and this year’s festival once again exceeded our expectations," said DBF Executive Director Daren Wang. "We're grateful for the partners, volunteers, and community support who make this festival possible."
Saturday's activities began with the biggest parade yet, with more than 800 participants in the Madeline-themed children’s parade. Throngs of children dressed as French schoolgirls marched through the streets of Decatur, arriving at the Target Children's Stage for the world premiere of the first new Madeline story in 50 years,"“Madeline and the Cats of Rome," by John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans.
"We were really pleased with the authors and performers who appeared at this year's festival," said DBF Program Director Tom Bell. "We had so many outstanding authors, poets, and musicians, there absolutely was something for everyone."
Other festival highlights included:
-John Dean, former White House counsel to President Richard Nixon and star witness of the Watergate prosecution, now an independent fiercely critical of conservatives, and also a big fan of DBF. "The Decatur Book Festival was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience: Wonderful audiences, interesting authors, delightful venues, and plenty of Southern hospitality," Dean said.
-A joint appearance by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Natasha Trethewey and her father, Eric Trethewey, titled “Poetry in the Family”
-Poet and fiction writer Ron Rash, who describes DBF as "one of America's best gifts to writers."
-Best-selling essayist and Georgia native Bailey White
-Novelist Clyde Edgerton, who appeared in two separate panels and also had a solo presentation. "I had no idea the festival was so BIG. And the audiences seemed to be made up of readers, which is such a relief. There were always volunteers within an arm's reach and this makes a difference at these events. I'd say the Decatur Book Festival is right up there with the best, including the festival in Nashville, which is always a winner, too," Edgerton gushed.
Music at the festival included the "Good ol’ Girls" Matraca Berg, Marshall Chapman, Jill McCorkle, and Lee Smith discussing their musical collaboration during the day on Sunday, then performing it Sunday night at Eddie's Attic, and Patterson Hood, Drive-By Truckers frontman, whose free show packed the square Sunday evening.
Planning is already under way for next year's DBF, which will once again be held over Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, 2009.
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.
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