Collections and Connections Spring/Summer 2011 : Page 1
Jennifer Wilson, Editor Spring-Summer 2011 Collections & Connections SOKY Book Fest draws thousands to Knicely Conference Center The 13 th annual Southern Kentucky Book Fest brought thousands of people to the Carroll Knicely Conference Center for its events on Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16. The state’s largest literary event kicked off on Friday with the return of Children’s Day headlined by Judith Viorst, bestselling author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as well as many other books for children and adults. School children, teachers, and members of the community enjoyed this day fi lled with presentations, crafts, and (best of all) a chance to interact with authors and buy their books! Along with Children’s Day, Friday was the day for the 8 th annual Kentucky Writers Conference (KWC). The KWC drew record crowds this year with presentations on fi nding a literary agent, writing a query letter, memoir writing, and much more. Estimated attendance for the event was 150 people, some of whom traveled hundreds of miles to spend a day soaking up knowledge from published authors. The KWC is unique among writers conferences because the Book Fest partnership is able to provide this opportunity free of charge thanks to the generous support of Dollar General. Saturday brought the main event, and this year’s Book Fest was the biggest and best one ever. Over 130 authors spent the day signing their books and speaking with readers. Highlights of the day included a special breakfast with bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, and presentations and book signings by Mr. Sparks as well as Clan of the Cave Bear author Jean Auel, Pulitzer Prize winner T.J. Stiles, and many of the other authors who attended the event. Thanks to the Book Fest’s many generous sponsors including Jim Johnson, Fruit of the Loom, and Smuckers, all of the Book Fest events aside from the breakfast with Nicholas Sparks were free. Proceeds from the sale of books at Book Fest go toward promoting literacy in the region, and organizers are 1
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