Book Festival keeps readers coming back

“It’s something we can’t afford to lose as a society; we need readers,” local author Michelle Jarvis said at the West Virginia Book Festival Saturday, Oct. 25. 

Being able to connect face-to-face with authors is important in a day when a lot of reader communities are online, author Janine Ippolito said. 

The festival is a really great way to connect to the local community and to the library, Ippolito said. 

Several authors echoed a similar statement. 

“Most of the time we pick up a book, we’re disconnected from the author,” author Wes Blake said. 

“There’s not that many opportunities to meet writers, especially so many at one time,” Blake said. 

Throughout the day at any given time, there were a few dozen authors in the marketplace, and a handful of authors gave talks on anything, from how to write music to reading from their books and explaining their thought process behind what they wrote. 

After their talks, many authors hosted book signings, where they sold their books and delivered Q&A talks to their audience.

Among authors seen at the festival as speakers were Jayne Anne Phillips, author of “Night Watch,” and Rajia Hassib, author of “In the Language of Miracles” and Marshall University English professor, both West Virginia locals. 

Preceding the festival Thursday, Oct. 23, was the McCreight Humanities lecture delivered by Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen with free admission. 

Additionally, crowds could be seen at the used book sale picking through old books, DVDs and CDs. The used book sale is one of the primary sources of funding for the West Virginia Book Festival in addition to donations from sponsors. 

The book sale was split into two time periods: morning for regular prices and afternoon for reduced prices.

Events for families included live children’s book readings, performances of adaptations of the works of Edgar Allen Poe by Bright Star Touring Theatre, a children’s writing workshop and a storybook costume parade throughout the marketplace.

The festival occurs annually and is free to the public.

Phoenix Bishop can be contacted at [email protected].