book
look
Fall festivals
for book lovers
Also:
■ Romance contest
■ Celebrity reading
AUTUMN IS NOT ONLY a popular time for
publishers to release their biggest titles of the
year, it’s also the season for cities around the
country to celebrate books and authors.
Here’s a list of some of the festivals happening
this September.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Decatur Book Festival
Decatur, Georgia; September 1 through 3
www.decaturbookfestival.com
About the event: More than100 authors will
be at this new festival, including Michael
Connelly, Edward P. Jones and Karin Slaughter.
Central Coast Book and Author Festival
San Luis Obispo, California; September 9
www.ccbookfest.org
About the event: In its seventh year, this fes-
tival includes readings, workshops, signings
and kids’ story time and crafts.
Midwest Literary Festival
Aurora, Illinois; September 16 through 17
www.midwestliteraryfestival.com
About the event: Dennis Lehane and Joyce
Carol Oates are two of the more than 50
authors who will be signing books and par-
ticipating in panel discussions.
Fall for the Book Literary Festival
Fairfax, Virginia; September 27 through
October 5
www.fallforthebook.org
About the event: Along with staged readings
and a poetry café, a highlight of this festival
is a presentation of the 2006 Fall for the
Book Prize to Dave Eggers.
Montana Festival of the Book
Missoula, Montana; September 28 through 30
www.bookfest-mt.org
About the event: More than 5,000 attendees
are expected at this annual event. This year’s
activities include a celebration of the annual
One Book Montana selection, Ivan Doig’s
This House of Sky (see the July Book Buyer’s
Pick), a symposium on Montana poetry and
a live performance of A Prairie Home
Companion.
National Book Festival
Washington, D.C.; September 30
www.loc.gov/bookfest
About the event: More than 70 authors will
be appearing at this festival, in conjunction
The Costco Connection SEPTEMBER 2006
with several themed pavilions. Attending
authors include Joan Didion, Khaled
Hosseini, Stephenie Meyer, Louis Sachar and
Alexander McCall Smith.
Santa Barbara Book & Author Festival
Santa Barbara, California; September 30
www.sbbookfestival.org
About the event: The festival features panels
on the media, mysteries and multicultural
stories along with the presentation of several
book awards.
Look for October book festival listings in
next month’s “Book Look.”
Winning at romance
HarperCollins has partnered with the
online entertainment company Fanlib to
offer a writing contest for romance readers in
which fans create an original story online.
The “Express Your Desires” contest kicks off
in late August and will unfold over an eight-
week period. Fans will vote on their favorite
story submission, posted at www.avonfan
lit.com. Weekly submissions will be judged by
a group of authors under the Avon imprint.
The submissions with the highest rating will
be published as an e-book by Avon at the
close of the contest.
Reading for charity
In early August three literary giants—John
Irving, Stephen King and J.K. Rowling—took
to the stage for charity. The event, dubbed “An
Evening with Harry, Carrie and Garp,” was
designed to raise money for Doctors Without
Borders and The Haven Foundation, which
signings
Debbie Macomber signs 6 Rainier Drive
on September 15, at 1 p.m., at the Lacey,
Washington, Costco, at 1470 Marvin
Road NE.
Gordon Javna signs Uncle John’s Fast-Acting, Long-Lasting Bathroom Reader
on August 16, from noon to 2 p.m., at the
Nampa, Idaho, Costco, at 16700 N.
Marketplace Blvd.
(Click here for maps and
directions to Costco locations.)
ARTICLE FEEDBACK
Debbie Macomber to sign 6 Rainier Drive
in Lacey, Washington (see below).
helps artists who cannot help themselves in
the face of illness or natural disaster. The
authors hoped to raise at least $250,000 for
each organization.
Irving, King and Rowling each read from
one of their own works and took questions
from the audience during the two-night event
held at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Source: Publishers Weekly
Book
giveaway
COSTCO HAS five
signed copies of Cold
Moon, by Jeffery
Deaver, and two
signed copies of
Dispatches from the
Edge, by Anderson
Cooper, to give
away. To enter, print
the name of the book
you want, your name,
membership number,
address and daytime
phone number on a
postcard or letter and
send it to: [Name of
book], The Costco
Connection, P.O. Box 340 88,
Seattle, WA 98124-1088, or fax it to
(425) 313-6718.
No purchase is necessary. Entries
must be received or postmarked by
midnight, October 1, 2006. Void where
prohibited. Employees of Costco and
their families are not eligible. Winners
will be notified by mail. One entry per
household.
Send your feedback on this
month’s Buyer’s Pick to:
discussionquestions@costco.com
