By Savannah Rake
When the bright orange Penguin Publishing bus stops at Telfair Square and the smell coffee and freshly printed pages blow in the wind, it’s time to get out and go to the Savannah Book Festival. On Feb. 13, the Savannah Book Festival will kick off a series of events to promote reading and writing.
They will host 36 writers from around the country as they participate in readings, discussions, presentations and book signings. The main festival will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, in and around the Telfair and Wright Squares downtown in the historic district.
The festival includes a wide range of genres and speakers — from popular fiction, non-fiction and historical writers to lifestyle experts and other critically acclaimed writers. Local venues such as the Telfair Museum, Telfair’s Jepson Center for the Arts, Trustees Theater and Trinity United Methodist Church will host special presentations by many of these authors throughout the weekend.
“There’s really been a push this year to improve the visitor experience,” said Amy Codon, the digital editor at Savannah magazine, running this year’s festival. “We’ll have two new venues in Wright Square, improved book-selling lines for Literati members, better food offerings and free trolleys for those who live in South Savannah and don’t want to worry about parking.”
C-SPAN Network’s involvement in streaming Saturday’s events has put the Savannah Book Festival on the map of national book festivals.
“It’s a really exciting event,” said Sydney Schulz, second-year graphic design student and SCAD student ambassador. “It brings book lovers from all walks of life together. Plus it gets people walking around and interacting with one another, and the beautiful city that we live in.”
This year’s festival will kick off with an opening address by Scott Turow, author of bestselling legal thrillers such as “Presumed Innocent,” its sequel “Innocent,” as well as “Burden of Proof,” “Personal Injuries,” and his most recent haunting novel, “Identical.
“I think I’m most excited for Mitch Albom,” Schulz admitted, talking about the author who will give the special keynote address at Trustees Theater on Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. “‘Tuesdays With Morrie’ is one of my favorite books.”
Albom is a playwright, screenwriter, journalist and author. “Tuesdays With Morrie” spent four years on The New York Times bestsellers list and has been recognized as the bestselling memoir of all time.
The festival will conclude with a closing address from Eben Alexander, author of The New York Times bestseller, “Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife.” Tickets for the opening, keynote and closing addresses are $15 each.
The Savannah Book Festival is sure to be a stimulating time with book signings, silent auctions, a surprise guest and great writing. Twenty percent of book sales made at the event, as well as the profit from the silent auction will go back into the festival in hopes of keeping it free and open to the public.
For complete schedules of events, bid forms for silent auction, trolley tours and parking information, go to www.savannahbookfestival.org.
If you would like to purchase tickets to festival’s opening, keynote or closing addresses, visit the Savannah Box Office.
