Authors from around the area will gather at the Bellevue Public Library on Saturday, February 25 for the library’s first Authorfest in many years.
According to Laura Mischke, Library Head of Adult Services, Authorfest is a celebration of authors. “We have chosen to focus more on local authors in this region. It is a celebration of these authors and their work. It is a chance for the public to meet them. Visitors can purchase their books, get their books signed, and also talk to them about their writing process, the publishing process, and how they became authors.”
Eleven local authors will appear including Pearl G. Alimo, Bruce Arant, Jeff Barnes, J.M. Barrows, Tara Wilson Evans, Matt Hebert, Joy Johnson, Chris LeGrow, Victoria McCombs, Wm. Bruce McCoy, and Lisa & Tim Trudell.
These authors represent a wide range of genres and backgrounds, with something to interest almost anybody. “We wound up with a really great group of authors! Their works include kids books, young adult books, adult books, nonfiction, fiction, mystery…. a really great variation,” Mischke said.
The idea of Authorfest has been around for a while. Mischke said her team has been talking about it for five years. They were getting close to launching Authorfest a few years ago, but Covid hit and so the discussion was tabled. This year the timing seemed right.
The authors will be available from 1pm-3pm in the large meeting room at the library (just to the right as you enter the library). It is an open house style event where visitors can walk around and interact with any of the authors, and come and go as they please.
While the whole community is invited, Mischke said they expect two distinct groups. One group includes beginning authors who may have questions about getting published. “We expect many aspiring authors to attend with questions for our authors like ‘How did you do this?’, ‘What are the steps involved?’, ‘How can I get my book published?'”
The other group Mischke mentioned is fans of the books. These fans may be looking to get their books signed and let the authors know how much they enjoy their writing. They may also find more books written by the author and choose to purchase them and get them signed.
Early reaction to Authorfest has been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s been great!” said Mischke. “Patrons are really excited about it and asking a lot of questions.”
Mischke said that her team wanted to start small, with something manageable and easy. There is not a schedule of events or set program. “We want to see how it goes, see what people want – what they liked and build on it from there. So if it becomes an annual event, maybe next year we will have a panel where authors take questions from the audience, maybe we line up a keynote speaker, or maybe we bring in publishers to answer questions. There are many options for what we can do, based on feedback we receive.”
The event is free and open to the public.
