Tens of thousands of book lovers will gather on the Decatur Square over Labor Day weekend for the 11th annual AJC Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical. They will absorb the wide array of events, panel discussions, cooking demonstrations, music, dance, theatre troupe performances and other programming for adults and children of all ages and interests.
Here are a few highlights:
- This year’s Keynote event, “The Life and Works of Pat Conroy,” will feature friends and family of late Southern literary icon (the event is sold out).
- The Kidnote speaker is Captain Underpants series writer Dav Pilkey, who will present his new book Dog Man.
- 2014 National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson will present her novel Another Brooklyn.
- Emory University-based poet Kevin Young, called “one of the most important poets of his generation” by The Washington Post, will participate in a session titled “A Sense of Self, A Sense of Place.”
- Todd Richards and Ted Lee will conduct a demonstration from the late Edna Lewis’ classic cookbook The Taste of Country Cooking — the first of what will become an annual event.
- Serenbe Playhouse will perform pop-up segments from Charlotte’s Web and Miss Saigon throughout the weekend.
- Children’s author Andrea Beaty (Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist) will lead the Sunday parade.
