Virginia Festival of the Book


John Lewis and the power of love Published on Mar 26th, 2013 3 comments Civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis was arrested 40 times in the '60s, and four times since he's been in Congress. The youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington and the leader of the...
Virginia is for book lovers: 10 hot book fest picks Published on Mar 14th, 2013 2 comments You can go seeking knowledge. You can go to gaze upon a literary idol. You can go desiring bons mots. Or maybe you just go to have fun– along with all that other stuff. Whatever your...
Coming up: Civil rights icons headline book fest Published on Sep 20th, 2012 1 comments Civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis and Black Power Olympic medalist John Carlos are among the speakers coming to next spring's 19th Virginia Festival of the Book. Lewis and Carlos will...
The Death Look: Donna Britt rages for a reason Published on Mar 21st, 2012 12 comments Former Washington Post columnist Donna Britt has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. So why, in her household with three healthy sons and a husband, is such an acclaimed writer the one walking the...
Best o' the book fest: May we suggest...? Published on Mar 13th, 2012 1 comments March means bibliophilia in Charlottesville. That's how much of an institution the Virginia Festival of the Book has become as it readies for its 18th annual book-athon. Whether your interests are...
Book Fest announces headliners Published on Sep 21st, 2011 0 comments Basketball legend Jerry West is coming for the Virginia Festival of the Book's March 21 Leadership Breakfast. University of Richmond prez/History Guy Ed Ayers will be the March 22 luncheon speaker,...
Jacob's voice: UVA MFA grad channels teen angst in debut Published on Mar 17th, 2011 0 comments Gender-bending in literature is more than a common convention; some of fiction's greatest works are written in a voice of the author's opposite sex. UVA MFA graduate (2003) and Charlottesville...
Write on: John McNally teaches literary survival Published on Mar 17th, 2011 0 comments Almost everyone wants to write a novel. For those who don't want their manuscripts to languish in attics and hard drives, novelist John McNally wrote The Creative Writer's Survival Guide. The author...
Dangerous debut: MFA grad says hello to Birdie Published on Mar 10th, 2011 0 comments "I had the idea of a character, Birdie, who's an actress who stopped being able to tell when she was acting," says author and 2003 UVA MFA graduate Jenny Hollowell. Birdie, the young protagonist of...
Books in the time of Twitter: Hook's hot lit picks for 17th festival Published on Mar 10th, 2011 3 comments The world has changed since the first celebration of the book here in 1995. Back then, no one seriously considered the feasibility of a computer replacing bound pages for one's reading pleasure. In...
CSI: Transylvania: Jenkins unlocks vampire forensics Published on Mar 10th, 2011 0 comments How do you perform an autopsy on the undead? For author Mark Collins Jenkins, his new book, Vampire Forensics, explores misunderstandings about the various stages of physical decomposition...
Really forbidden love: My name is Ray, and my book is about necrophilia Published on Mar 10th, 2011 0 comments Somewhere between the gothic eccentricities of filmmakers Tim Burton and David Lynch and the witty intellectualism of authors Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo, emerging writer Brian Ray is exploring an...
In God we trust? John Fea explores America's Christian (?) foundations Published on Mar 10th, 2011 3 comments Want to pick a fight? Bring up politics or religion. In his new book, Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?, historian John Fea tackles both. The book explores the heated debate over whether or...
'Bottoms' up: Who will play Georgia in Childress' 7th? Published on Mar 10th, 2011 0 comments The heroine of Mark Childress' latest book, Georgia Bottoms, would be offended at a reporter's crass question about how a genteel Southern belle ended up "turning tricks," informs Childress. "She has...
VFH sliced, but survives state budget Published on Mar 15th, 2010 10 comments Virginia Foundation for the Humanities president Rob Vaughan will not have to announce the demise of the Book Festival this year. PHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities...
16th Book Fest started March 17 Published on Mar 12th, 2010 0 comments The Virginia Festival of the Book kicks off March 17 with the noon announcement of the winners of the Hook short story contest in the Central Library. Read more about the festival's Sweet 16 in...
Have pen, will travel: NPR's Cheuse journeys through writing Published on Mar 11th, 2010 0 comments "All writing is travel writing– you pack a noun, and you pack a verb and take the reader somewhere," says writer Alan Cheuse. He should know. Although Cheuse prides himself on his fiction and...
Deadline for VFB student writing contest looming Published on Feb 9th, 2010 0 comments The deadline for the 2010 Virginia Festival of the Book’s Poetry & Prose contest for High School and Middle School students is fast approaching. So get your up to 1,000 word story or up to two...
Wartime bookfest: Lit lovers soldier on Published on Mar 27th, 2003 0 comments The ninth annual Virginia Festival of the Book was a more somber celebration of the word than usual. On Wednesday, March 19, with President George W. Bush's deadline to Saddam Hussein ticking away,...
Local luminaries: Inspiration for writerly kids Published on Mar 13th, 2003 0 comments Spring is my favorite time of year. Yes, it’s getting warmer and flowers are starting to sprout, but one of the best parts of spring is the Virginia Festival of the Book.This year’s family events at...