Virginia Festival of the Book

Who knows about the Virginia Festival of the Book? Besides me? It was mentioned at my last book club meeting, and I was ASTOUNDED by how few people there had ever heard of it, even though it's been held right here, in the town we live in, for a long time. I can't find information on exactly how long from their website, but I know it's been at least 9 years because that's how long I've lived here, and it's been here every year I've lived here!

Despite the fact that I've known about it since I first moved here, I have never actually attended. Well, this year, that's going to change! Two authors I like quite a bit - Louis Bayard and Jayne Pupek - are going to be speaking on panels, and I have business cards for my proofreading and copyediting biz to hand out to the publishers and authors who will be there for the expo! The only thing that makes me unhappy is that it's the weekend of my mom's birthday, so I'll have to wait to go home and see her until Saturday around noon if I want to catch Louis Bayard's panel.

For those not in the know, VABook! spans several days, features lots of authors and agents and publishers talking about books and writing and getting published, and almost all of the events are free. There are some that cost money and are ticketed, but the vast majority are free and are first come, first served as far as seating. They are in various locations around Charlottesville, from downtown to Barnes & Noble to the UVA campus. And the website gives you the schedule and all of the authors, and even has this cool feature where you can add events to your "book bag," creating a schedule for yourself.

I've never actually been to a book show/festival before, and I'm really excited!