This Labor Day Weekend, mingle with your favorite authors, attend a reading or book signing, listen to live music and poetry, enjoy cooking demonstrations and fine wine, and participate in fun activities for the entire family during the sixth annual AJC Decatur Book Festival!
Below is just a sampling of all of the exciting events we have planned for this year. More information coming soon!
The keynote address, on Friday evening at Agnes Scott College’s Presser Hall, will be delivered this year by Colin Meloy (lead singer of The Decembrists), and acclaimed illustrator Carson Ellis (Mysterious Benedict Society) regarding WILDWOOD, their first book in an epic, family-friendly, middle-grade fantasy novel full of magic, wonder, and danger.
These are just a few of the many featured authors presenting this year: Tom Perrotta (The Leftovers), Robert Olen Butler (A Small Hotel), Howard Wasdin (Seal Team Six), Karen Russell (Swamplandia), Cheryl Tan (A Tiger in the Kitchen), James Swanson (Bloody Crimes), Patti Callahan Henry (Coming Up for Air), Joshilyn Jackson (Backseat Saints), Blake Butler (There Is No Year), and Shirley Strawberry (The Strawberry Letter).
Look for other fantastic authors in our complete lineup!
“From the Briar Patch to the Big Stage: Adapting Brer Rabbit for Opera”
The Atlanta Opera has commissioned a one-hour children’s opera around the famed tales of Brer Rabbit — popularized by Joel Chandler Harris — for its 2011-2012 season, and at the AJC Decatur Book Festival we will have a special presentation about its development and creation (as well as a sneak peek of some of the songs!).
This year, Theatrical Outfit — Atlanta’s third oldest professional theater company — will present two separate stage offerings: a full-cast performance of selected scenes from Calvin Alexander Ramsey’s world premiere drama The Green Book and a first-ever workshop of Tom Key’s stage adaptation of Eudora Welty’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Optimist’s Daughter, with original music composed and performed by musicians/vocalists Kate Campbell and Caroline Herring.
THE GREEN BOOK was a manual informing African American tourists of safe places to dine and lodge during the tumultuous Jim Crow era—an important book in more ways than one. As part of a special presentation at the AJC Decatur Book Festival, Theatrical Outfit and the Center for Puppetry Arts will share and discuss their two new productions “The Green Book,” and “Ruth and the Green Book,” both written by Calvin Ramsey, who will also be joining in the discussion.
There are a lot more special performances in store! Click here to read about them all.
The Wren’s Nest Publishing Co. has compiled its fifth annual literary journal, which is comprised entirely of pieces by Atlanta-area high school students. On Sunday, September 4th, from 2 - 5 p.m at CORE, the student editors and contributors and their friends and family members will join to mingle, congratulate each other, and revel in their accomplishments with live music, food, and board games.
The KIPP Scribes is a collaborative writing and publishing program between The Wren's Nest and KIPP STRIVE, a West End charter school. This program pairs professional writers with 5th and 6th graders. The children interviewed their adults in their lives to collect and publish important stories. The KIPP Scribes have crafted the stories with the help of their mentors and will release their book, The Whole Fiasco, at AJC DBF on Saturday, September 3rd from 11 a.m.- noon at CORE. The book launch will feature readings from the KIPP Scribes and their mentors.
Our children’s parades are so popular, we’re having two of them again this year! Saturday morning’s parade will be led by none other than Skippyjon Jones and his wildly popular creator, Judy Schachner, with a reading from Judy’s newest book (Skippyjon Jones Class Action) to follow.
On Sunday morning, there will be a Pete the Cat parade (wear your white [or red, or blue, or brown] shoes), with our local bestsellers James Dean and Eric Litwin, to celebrate (and share) their newest Pete the Cat picture book, Rocking in my School Shoes.
These annual awards for writers whose work advances social and racial justice will once again be given at AJC DBF in a special ceremony.
This popular annual poetry slam at AJC DBF will feature the best slam poets from metro Atlanta, in competition. This event is presented by Poetry Atlanta.
This popular annual at AJC DBF will return on Sunday evening. Spoken word poets will perform their work, and a notable AJC DBF poet will feature at the event. The event is presented by Poetry Atlanta.
AJC DBF's annual writers conference will again take place on Friday afternoon, on the campus of Agnes Scott College. Following an opening Writers Conference Keynote address, participants will choose from one of several writers workshops. On Saturday and Sunday, writers can also follow along the Writers Conference Track, a series of events on AJC DBF's main stages that are open to the general public but of particular interest to writers and aspiring writers.
Look for specially-indicated events in our variety of themed tracks; there’s definitely something for a variety of readers! Our tracks this year are, Health & Wellness (sponsored by DeKalb Medical), Business & Marketing (sponsored by Lenz marketing), Science (Sponsored by the Atlanta Science Tavern), Atlanta (sponsored by the Atlanta History Center), Emory (sponsored by Emory Libraries), AQLF (sponsored by the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival), Cooking (sponsored by Cook’s Warehouse), Poetry, Religion & Spirituality, Homegrown/Homemade Goodness, and a new track this year — Sports!
Stop by Sammiches N Stuff (515 N. McDonough Street) to check out a Clothesline Art Show and Fine Arts Invitational Exhibiton, sponsored by the Decatur Arts Alliance. The Clothesline Show will take place Saturday, Sept 3 from 5-8 p.m. The Fine Arts Invitational Exhibition is ongoing throughout the Festival weekend.
When you're ready to take a break and put your feet up during the Festival, stop by the Kudzu Reading Lounge, located on the southeast lawn of the Old Courthouse (near the First Aid tent). Consistently voted ‘Atlanta’s Best’ antique store since 1979, Kudzu will be bringing a selection of vintage garden furniture to set up a relaxing outdoor reading lounge.
Thank Goodness for our Sponsors!
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This is YOUR festival. We are very grateful for our corporate sponsors, but we count on individual donations to ensure that the festival is free to all. If you are looking forward to this year's festival, please consider joining us in building this great tradition! Any contribution you make will help ensure that this is the best AJC DBF ever. Donate now.
The organization behind the festival promotes a year-round literary community by hosting a series of fundraising and literary events. Find out more.
Ensure your seat at the table for year-round book festival events. Find out more.
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