Mark Your Calendars: VA Festival of the Book is Coming Soon!

Book lovers, mark your calendars! The Virginia Festival of the Book is coming to Charlottesville and the surrounding area Wednesday, March 16, through Sunday, March 20.

This annual event features author readings, book signings, speaker panels, workshops and a special day focused on children’s literature. The majority of the events are free and open to the public.

Virginia’s Festival of the Book is a 12-year-old tradition and is “the largest community-based book event in the Mid-Atlantic region,” according to the event’s web page. It attracts over 20,000 people each year.

The current list of participants is more than 400, including Pulitzer Prize winners Ayad Akhtar, Rick Atkinson and Lawrence Wright, as well as Rita Dove, Gregory Pardlo and Vijay Seshadri. The Festival also emphasizes programming that captivates diverse interests: the schedule includes programs that focus on LGBTQ issues, African-American literature, science writing, children’s novels, immigration and more.

Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall and University of Virginia will be two main hubs of festival events in addition to numerous schools, libraries and other community centers.

Check out the Festival schedule at the event web page, www.vabook.org, for details on specific events. Do not miss out on this classic tradition!