High season for book fairs and festivals: Midsummer's Harlem Book Fair highlights a year-round calendar of events

Black Issues Book Review, July-August, 2004 by Bernadette Adams Davis

EVERY YEAR, THOUSANDS OF BOOKLOVERS GATHER AT FESTIVALS around the country to hear their favorite authors, buy more books and celebrate the solitary act of reading in a communal atmosphere. Those local and regional festivals, spaced throughout the year, are as quirky as the people who flock to them. Some cater to readers and would be authors, complete with writers' workshops, while others offer musical accompaniment for the literary exchange. There are festivals that honor African American writers, Southern authors and children's literature. Festivals bring together mystery lovers and romance fans, fantasy readers and magical realists--the perfect place to find new favorite authors in all those disparate genres.

Although authors of color may not be represented at every festival, a handful focuses specifically on writers from the African Diaspora. The Harlem Book Fair, for instance, celebrates its sixth anniversary this year. The festival, highlighting authors of African descent, runs July 20 through 25, on West 135th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard) in New York City. Visitors can find storytellers, authors, spoken-word poets and music. Folks who have attended in the past have had a chance to meet or hear bell hooks, Sonia Sanchez, Sheree R. Thomas and Omar Tyree. For more information on this year's festival, check the Web site at http:llwww.qbr.com/hbf2004/hbf04mainpage.htm.> Other African American-themed events that are not full-fledged book festivals often have a literary component. The annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities in Eatonville, Florida, is an example. It is not a summer event, but one traditionally held in the last weekend on January. As a celebration of the life and work of Hurston, a literary element is an important part of the event each year in her hometown. The festival now includes the Words and Voices Book Fair, with author events and discussions with national and local authors. Many of the authors involved have written biographies or histories about African Americans and African American culture, a fitting tribute to Hurston's important work as a folklorist. Valerie Boyd, author of Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston (Scribner, January 2002) and Nellie Y. McKay, editor of The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, with Henry Louis Jr. Gates (W. W. Norton & Company, January 2004), are two of the authors who spoke at the 2004 festival. The festival Web site is http://www.zoranealehurstonfestival.com.

Literate travelers in the South might also consider the Southern Festival of Books in Memphis, October 8-10. It is one of many festivals held throughout the U.S. by state humanities councils. In addition to the typical readings, discussions and signings, the festival includes venues for songwriters, poets and playwrights and a schedule of children's events. Recent years have featured appearances by Stephen L. Cartel Randall Kennedy, Alice Randall and others. Nashville is traditionally the host city, but because of renovation work on its usual site, the event moves to Memphis this fall. It will return to Nashville in 2005. The slate of authors for 2004 was not final when BIBR went to press, but it will be posted to the festival Web site by summer: http://www.tn-humanities.org/sfbmain.htm.> The largest festivals have the budget to attract the upper strata of the literary world, including Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, who opened the Miami Book Fair International in 2003. The Miami festival will celebrate its 21st anniversary November 7-14, 2004. The festival has also featured other prominent African American authors, including Edward P. Jones, Walter Mosley and Colson Whitehead. Miami's role as one of the nation's gateway cities is reflected in the festival programming, which featured a number of authors of Caribbean descent, including Austin Clarke, Edwidge Danticat, Caryl Phillips and Nalo Hopkinson in 2003. The festival, held at Miami Dade College's Wolfson campus in downtown Miami, attracts 500,000 booklovers each year. Its Ibero--American Authors Program offers a full program in Spanish. Details on the festival are at the Web site http://www.miamibookfair.com/.> The Baltimore Book Festival goes beyond books to incorporate music and theatre in the three day event. Baltimore's festival will take place September 17-19, 2004, in historic Mount Vernon Place. African American authors read and discuss their works on the Ripe Harvest Foundation Stage. In the Creativity Cafe the festival presents short story readings, poetry slams and writing workshops. Bands playing jazz, reggae and soul keep things moving, while the Baltimore Theatre Alliance produces dramatic and comic presentations throughout the weekend. Past festivals have included appearances by Lolita Files, Monique Greenwood, Victoria Christopher Murray and Tracy Price-Thompson. Log on to the Web site at http://www.bop.org/calendar/events/book_index.html.> On the West Coast, The Los Angeles Times presents its Festival of Books on the last weekend in April at University of California at Los Angeles. The festival will mark its 10th anniversary in 2005 and includes author panels, as well as bands, storytellers, authors and poetry slammers on stage. A highlight is the 25th annual presentation of The Los Angeles Times Book Prizes on Saturday evening. Authors who have appeared at the event in previous years include Tina McElroy Ansa, Eric Jerome Dickey, Tavis Smiley, Rebecca Walker and Paula L. Woods. More information on the festival can be found on the Web at http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/.>