A first-ever Fredericksburg Book Festival is planned for Jan. 18, with 13 authors and illustrators and activities for both adults and children. The event, sponsored by Friends of the Written Word and hosted by Pioneer Memorial Library, is free and open to the public.
“Fredericksburg is blessed to have many writers and readers living here, so a book festival seemed like a great fit,” said Debbie Sultemeier, an event organizer and president of the nonprofit Friends of the Written Word Inc., a 501(c)3 organization. “We wanted to introduce the community to Pioneer Memorial’s library director, Erika Caputo, and illustrate the vibrant changes she is making to the public library. We also wanted to give residents an opportunity to meet authors.”
The festival will begin at 9 a.m. at the library, 115 W. Main, with a dedication in honor of Thelma McDaniel Phillips, the first librarian of Pioneer Memorial Library.
Activities for both adults and children will occur from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the library, in the John William Klein Room at Marktplatz, 126 W Main, and St. Joseph’s Halle, 212 W. San Antonio St. A trolley will transport attendees between the library and the other two venues, and food will be available for purchase at Marktplatz.
Clifford the Big Red Dog, a large red-furred dog starring in a series of books by the same name, will make a special visit. The family of the late author, Norman Bridwell, lives in Fredericksburg.
“Book festivals are an important tool in encouraging a love of reading in our community,” said Caputo. “We hope the book festival will be an opportunity to inspire seasoned readers and those new to the world of books.”
Volunteer members of Friends of the Written Word Inc., whose mission is to nurture a vibrant literary culture in Fredericksburg, are organizing the festival. “We are excited to create an event that connects authors and readers, promotes literacy, and showcases Pioneer Memorial Library as a fun and inviting center of discovery, community and conversation,” Sultemeier said.
The following authors, whose work covers a range of genres, will make presentations and sign books at the library. Children’s authors will visit local schools to make presentations to students.
Author lineup
Adult authors who will read at St. Joseph’s Halle include:
• Kimberly Garza, author of “The Last Karankawas.”
• Stephen Harrigan, historian whose books include “The Gates of the Alamo” and “Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas.”
• Michael Hurd, historian, biographer, sportswriter and author of “Thursday Night Lights: The Story of Black High School Football.”
• Naomi Shihab Nye, poet and author of books including “Everything Comes Next” and “Grace Notes”.
• Stacey Swann, whose books include “Olympus, Texas”.
• Ashley Winstead, author of books including “Midnight is the Darkest Hour: A Novel”.
Children’s book authors at the John William Klein Room at Marktplatz include:
• Chris Barton, whose works include “Fire Truck vs. Dragon”.
• Roy Ellzey, co-author with Sheri Phillabaum of “The Legend of the Fire Stag.”
• Diana Lopez, author of “Coco: A Story about Music, Shoes and Family” and other middle grade novels.
• Sheri Phillabaum, author of “Who Loves the Dark?”
• Amy Schwede Beicker, author of “Main Street Mockingbirds.”
• Don Tate, whose books include “Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton” and “Jerry Changed the Game.”
At a glance
Liz Painter, wildlife artist and illustrator of “Who Loves the Dark?”, will host a hands-on drawing activity. Librarians will host additional children’s activities on the second floor of Pioneer Memorial Library.
Typewriter Rodeo, professional writers who create custom, on-the-spot poems on typewriters, will also attend the festival to create free custom poetry for attendees.
Book signings and book sales will also take place at the library. The Twig Book Shop will oversee book sales, with a portion of sales donated to Pioneer Memorial Library.
In advance of the festival, librarians have created a display of the festival authors’ books available for checkout at Pioneer Memorial Library.
An endowment for the festival has been created by Dr. Alice White at the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Donations to the endowment are welcome and will be used to support the festival in years to come. The festival is a function of Friends of the Written Word Inc.
For more information, visit the festival’s website at fredericksburgbookfestival.org or Facebook page @Fredericksburg Book Festival. Sultemeier can be contacted at [email protected].
The Fredericksburg Book Festival promotes literacy, connects authors and readers, and celebrates public libraries as centers of discovery, community, and conversation.
