Designed to raise the awareness of “the transformative power of literacy,” the inaugural Fort Worth BookFest debuts next weekend with programs and activities for all ages, all interests, and all cultures.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 14, at Tarrant County College Trinity River, and features authors from across Texas and the country writing in all genres.
This free event will feature activities for the entire family, including author panels, workshops, and special interactions for children and youth. Here are some of the topics on the agenda:
- “Beyond Cultural Clichés: Writing Responsibly About Diversity”
- “Ready to Read: Early Childhood Literacy for Parents”
- “Business of Writing” workshop series: “Launching Your Product,” “Publishing Without Breaking the Bank,” “Hooking Your Reader in Chapter 1 and Writing for Genres”
- “Ready to Read – Family Stories, and Genealogy for Youth and their Parents”
The BookFest kicks-off with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a “Parade of Characters and Books” led by ‘Ms. LibrariAnn’ starts at 9:15 a.m. Come dresses as your favorite story character or super s/hero and join the parade.
“All across our country conversations are ongoing centering on our collective ‘human-being-ness,’” said Reba Henry, BookFest co-founder and director. “We are using this multi-genre literary presentation to ignite such a conversation here at home and across the Southwest. Fort Worth’s lists of author exhibitors crosses the cultures of this region. In addition, because of that ‘culture mix’ we believe this is a perfect example of that ‘human-being-ness.’”
Henry said the “goal is to raise awareness of the transformative power of literacy by bringing together readers, writers, and publishing professionals in a synergistic confluence to open the literary world to this region.”
There will be a special discussion at 2 p.m. with author Darolyn Brock whose new book, Beyond the Shield: Survival for Your Son, deals with police and community relations. She writes that the respect for police officers has disappeared over time, and that there is a sense of division between the police and the public.
Local organizers collaborated with Max Rodriguez, founder of the renowned Harlem Book Fair, drawing on his years of book fair/festival production experience. Next year Rodriguez will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Harlem Book Fair.
In addition to partnerships with Tarrant County College, City of Fort Worth, Texas Wesleyan University, TCU, and Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT); Fort Worth BookFest is sponsored by Linebarger Attorneys-at-Law and the North Texas Cluster of The Links, Incorporated. Its sponsorships and collaborations include many other corporations and organizations in the region.
For more information, follow the BookFest on Facebook.com/fwbookfest and on Twitter @fwbookfest.