Suwanee Festival of Books

Georgia gets a new book festival this year when the Inaugural Suwanee Festival of Books is held at Suwanee Town Center on August 28 and 29 (in Suwanee, Georgia, of course). If you just can't wait one more week for the Labor Day Decatur Book Festival, or you'd simply like to get warmed up for that event, the Suwanee event is well worth looking into.

Nearly one hundred authors will be on hand at the Suwanee festival, including many local, regional, and national favorites.

Among the presenting authors at the Suwanee Festival will be:

Terry Kay. Award-winning, Georgia Writer Hall of Famer, and local favorite, Kay will be giving a keynote presentation. Among his best known titles are To Dance With the White Dog, and his most recent title, The Book of Marie.

Phillip Lee Williams. Another Georgia Hall of Famer. Williams is a recipient of the Micheal Schaara Civil War Fiction Award. His upcoming epic poem, The Flower Seeker (about the life of William Bartram) ought to cause a stir in literary, history and natural history circles.

Joseph Dabney. James Beard cookbook winner Dabney will be on hand with his new book, The Food, Folklore and Art of Lowcountry Cooking. Pat Conroy, Nathalee Dupree, Savannah, Charleston, food.

Helen Ellis. Young adult, I love Harry Potter and vampires readers, here is your chance to meet the next big thing. Ellis' new book, The Turning: What Curiosity Kills, is already getting notice by fantasy loving teens (girls), and cat people, in the Big Apple and beyond.

Lisa Earl McLeod. Author, Gwinnett Daily Post writer, and syndicated columnist, McLeod will be there dishing out advice and good humor on all subjects from love to work to clean underwear.

S.A. Harazin. This Gwinnett author was nominated last year for an Edgar for her first young adult novel, Blood Brothers.

Donny Bailey Seagraves. The Athens area author will be there with her new coming of age in the South novel, Gone From These Woods.

Laura Knorr. This award-winning children's book illustrator will be there with her new book, Zero, Zilch, Nada, Counting to None.

Mark Braught. Award-winning illustrator (Harry Potter) Braught's new book, Ellen Craft's Escape From Slavery, will just be hitting the bookstores in time for the Festival.

Melinda Long. Suwanee is happy to welcome this New York Time's bestselling author of the children's book, How I Became a Pirate.

Jackie Cooper. Another Georgia favorite. Former Georgia Public Broadcasting book reviewer and author of The Bookbinder.

Other authors appearing include, Diane Shore, Patti Callahan Henry, Patricia Sprinkle and Rob Cleveland.

Plus, it's Suwanee Town Center, so there will be lots to do anyway (restaurants, shops, the park, and Farmer's Market).

For more information, check out the Suwanee Festival of Books at www.suwaneefestivalofbooks.com.

RMR.