Readers, Writers to Mingle at Inaugural Festival of Books

Hundreds of authors will come to campus for the literacy celebration, which includes professional development opportunities for those interested in writing.

It's a bookworm's paradise and an opportunity for aspiring writers to hear from the pros. The first-ever Tucson Festival of Books takes place next weekend on The University of Arizona campus.

About 400 authors and 200 exhibitors will attend the reading and literacy celebration, sponsored by The University of Arizona and the Arizona Daily Star.

Among them will be several prominent writers and representatives from the UA community.

Creative writing professor Alison Hawthorne Deming, great-great granddaughter of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, will read selections from her upcoming poetry book "Ropes" at the UA Poetry Center at 10 a.m. March 14. A writer in a family of writers and descended from one of history's most recognizable, Deming, who served as director of the UA Poetry Center for 12 years, said she looks forward to participating in an event that fosters appreciation for a range of literary forms, from poetry to fiction to nonfiction.

"I looks like it will be really exciting and a great chance to bring people to campus to experience a mix of authors and writers," she said.

The two-day event, being held March14-15, is free to the public and will feature lectures, interviews, readings, book signings, panel discussions, workshops, book sales, contests, children's events and more.

"It's going to be great for people who just love books and want to meet some of these authors," said Kate Jensen, the UA's assistant vice president for marketing. "It's also a free professional development opportunity for people who want to write."

Indeed, anyone who's ever considered trying their hand at penning a book of their own can listen to successful authors from across the country lecture on a number of topics, including "Memoir: The Art of Telling Your Story," "Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer" and "Public Speaking for Shy Writers."

Modeled in part after the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the Tucson Festival of Books is set to become the largest of its kind in the Southwest, said Frank Farias, executive director of UA BookStores.

He said the UA community should be proud of that distinction.

"This is going to be a very special event for the city of Tucson and The University of Arizona," said Farias, who co-founded the festival along with UA alumni and local business leaders Bruce Beach, Brenda Viner and Bill Viner.

The festival, aimed at raising regional awareness of the importance of literacy and reading, will take place at several locations across campus, with the main hub at the UA BookStore.

Just a few of the festival's featured events include:

March 14

• Best-selling author and motivational speaker Stedman Graham, author of "Teens Can Make it Happen" and significant other of Oprah Winfrey, will speak in the Social Sciences auditorium at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Seating is limited and you can reserve a space online.
• Aryn Kyle, best-selling author of "The Gods of Animals," will speak and do a book signing at 11:30 a.m. in the UA BookStore.
• Alexandra Avakian, National Geographic photojournalist and author of "Windows of the Soul: My Journeys in the Muslim World," will speak at 2:30 p.m. in the UA BookStore.

March 15

• Michael Gates Gill, best-selling author of "How Starbucks Saved My Life," will speak at 10 a.m. in the UA BookStore.
• Authors Brett Paesel and Lydia Millet will hold a panel discussion on the "Sources of Satire" at 11:30 a.m. in the UA BookStore.
• Authors Jane Candia Coleman, Johnny Boggs and L.D. Clark will hold a panel discussion on "Writing Western Fiction: A Lesson in History" at 2:30 p.m. in the UA BookStore.

The family-friendly festival will also feature numerous children's activities, including storytelling, arts and crafts, and appearances by children's authors.

Proceeds from festival sponsorships, private receptions and a Friday night gala will benefit Tucson-area literacy groups and programs.

For a full list of participating authors and events, visit the Tucson Festival of Books Web site.