Southern Kentucky Book Fest

The state’s largest literary event, the Southern Kentucky Book Fest, will be held Friday and Saturday, April 7-8, in Bowling Green.

It’s definitely fun for the entire family, and you’ll meet several national as well as Kentucky authors, with lots of books for sale and free book signings.

Friday is devoted to schoolchildren, to meet their favorite authors, participate in dramatic and musical performances, and exercise their creativity in the “make and do” room. Saturday is the major book signing event for the entire family. Jack Gantos, award-winning author of several book series, including the Rotten Ralph readers, Jack Henry books, and Joey Pigza books, will be present on Friday only. Other children’s activities will continue on Saturday.

“As the Book Fest enters its eighth year, we are pleased to have such distinguished authors as Pat Conroy (The Prince of Tides, Beach Music, and The Water is Wide), Rick Bragg (All Over but the Shoutin’ and Ava’s Man), Elizabeth Berg (Say When, True to Form, Never Change, and Open House), Gwyn Hyman Rubio (Icy Sparks), and children’s author Jack Gantos,” says Jayne Pelaski, the event’s coordinator and Western Kentucky University Libraries community outreach coordinator.

Linda Bruckheimer (author of national bestseller Dreaming Southern) and Chuck Barris (creator of The Dating Game and The Gong Show) will also be present along with 175 authors.

The Book Fest will be held at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green, and is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by WKU Libraries, Bowling Green Public Library, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers, with proceeds from vendors used to promote literacy in the community. For more information, go on the Web to www.sokybookfest.org, call (270) 745-5016, or e-mail jayne.pelaski@wku.edu.