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Arts & Entertainment

Connecticut Book Festival Celebrates State Authors and Fun of Reading

Notable authors, performers and awards ceremony highlight two-day event.

This weekend’s Connecticut Book Festival was a celebration of books, reading and Nutmeg state authors – which were the goals of the state’s first-ever book festival.

Book lovers of all ages stopped by the in West Hartford for the two-day festival. It featured lectures and panel discussions by some 30 Connecticut authors, fun activities for children, an exhibitor’s tent, arts performances and food.

Authors Gina Barreca and Wally Lamb drew the biggest crowds on Saturday, with both delivering forthright and humorous lectures.

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Lamb filled the seats in the campus auditorium in the library building and shared anecdotes about writing his best-sellers, “She’s Come Undone” and “I Know This Much is True,” both of which were selected for Oprah’s Book Club.

Dressed casually in black shirt and jeans with a fisherman’s hat, Lamb said he is a “seeker of truths – both spiritually and worldly.” He also shared some advice for eager and hopeful new writers: Do not pre-select your audience – write for yourself and have faith the right audience will find it. There are no original stories, so study the myths of antiquity and ancient works such as the Bible.

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To the delight of the audience, Lamb read an excerpt from his forthcoming novel, “We Are Water,” which he hopes to complete in the next two years. The acclaimed writer served as honorary chair of the Festival.

Several people were especially excited to attend Barreca's lecture and spend some time with the humorist, who had a large crowd around her as she autographed copies of her book "It's Not That I'm Bitter."

“She was so funny, really fabulous,” said festival-goer Sheryl O’Coin of Vernon, as she surveyed tables of books for sale in the Zachs Community Room, looking for gifts.

“I like the fact that they’re all Connecticut authors here,” added O’Coin.

Other notable authors who appeared included UConn Prof. Ronald Mallett, who spoke about the possibility of time travel; Diane Smith, author of books on Connecticut; Dick Allen, Connecticut Poet Laureate; and Lary Bloom, former editor of the Hartford Courant’s Northeast magazine.

Adria Giordano, a self-described “aspiring children’s book writer” from West Hartford, stopped by the table where West Hartford author Matthew Dicks was autographing copies of his new book, “Something Missing.” Giordano’s book club just read Dicks’ first novel, “Unexpectedly Milo,” and he will be attending her book group this week.

As the sun peeked in and out, performers from the Mystic Paper Beasts Theatre Company roamed the campus, dressed and in character as personalities and unique persons from books and myths. Children skipped along the sidewalks with their prized butterflies, funky hats and swords from balloon artist Nick Connell.

Inside an exhibitor’s tent, women artisans from places as far away as Bosnia, Burma and Somalia were selling hand-made crafts from their native lands. These refugees are members of The Sewing Circle Project, a collaboration of the Hartford Public Library, Institute for Community Research and Catholic Charities in Hartford.  Nearby, calligrapher Debby Reelitz of North Granby created personalized bookmarks, which she distributed for free.

Awards ceremony

A highlight of the Festival was Sunday’s awards ceremony honoring the winners and finalists of “Letters About Literature,” a national reading and writing promotion program for students in elementary through high school. The program is presented by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and sponsored in cooperation with Connecticut Center for the Book, a program of Hartford Public Library.

Students write to an author (living or dead) explaining how this author changed their lives or their views of the world. Their letters are judged on originality, content and grammar. More than 1,600 Connecticut students submitted letters – 122 were named finalists – but only three winners were awarded in each level (grades 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12).

From West Hartford, sixth grader Tessora Chang was awarded first prize for her letter to Amy Tan about Tan’s novel, “The Joy Luck Club.” Last year, Chang was a finalist for her composition about the book, “Three Cups of Tea.”

Mac Keener, son of Lesley and Jim Keener of Farmington, was awarded second prize (grades 4-6) for his letter to Mike Lupica, author of "The Bat Boy." Keener, a student at West Woods Upper Elementary School, is an avid baseball fan.

All nine winning essays may be found on the Connecticut Center for the Book website.

Plans for next year

The festival was patterned after the National Book Festival held in Washington, D.C., and similar programs in other cities and states, said Kat Lyons, co-chair of the event. While attendance was not as large as the organizers had expected – preliminary estimates were about 500 on Saturday and less on Sunday – plans are already underway for next year’s festival, said Lyons.

“The presenters are very encouraged about forging ahead,” she said. “They told us it can take three years for an event of this type to catch on.”

Dr. David Williams, UConn Greater Hartford campus director, said book festivals are a “big opportunity for booksellers to connect with readers.” He noted book festivals nationwide produce more than $1 million in sales each year, which is vital for authors at a time when national bookstore chains are going out of business.

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