Schedule and Floor plan | Poetry and Author Stages | Children's Stage | Panel Stage | Workshop Room | Other

Event Details

Schedule and Floor plan

Saturday, 24 October, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, 25 October, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Entry Fee : Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5.

Schedule   :   Printable Detailed Schedule

Floor plan   :   Event Booth and Stage Layout

Exhibitors   :   Exhibitor Booth Numbers

Descriptions of Panels, Demonstrations, and other activities are listed below, grouped by location (stage). Author and speaker bios can be found on the Authors & Speakers page. See Printable Detailed Schedule for times and locations of all events.

Poetry and Author Stages

826 Seattle [Sat 11:30, Author Stage 3]

Come listen to 826 Seattle young authors read excerpts of brilliant and heartfelt poems and stories penned in the tutoring center's zany writing workshops; allow yourself to be wooed, moved and delighted.

PANEL: Is Seattle Hostile to Literary Innovation? [Sun 1:00pm, Poetry Stage]
Sam Hamill, Sarah, Mangold, John Marshall, John Olson, Judith Roche

Seattle's literary community is renowned throughout North America. From Nancy Pearl's NPR commentaries and Sherman Alexie's award-winning books and popular movies; to the idiosyncratic and unique downtown public library; to being ranked either first or second most literate U.S. city, people seem to know folks around here read. But is the city hostile to literary innovation? Panelists Sam Hamill, Judith Roche, J.W. Marshall, John Olson and Sarah Mangold represent decades of experience in Seattle's literary community through editing, publishing, curating and through their own poetry practices. Paul E. Nelson is a poet interested in the Organic poetry tradition and will moderate the one hour event. It's a rare opportunity to discuss the quality of the local literary community and perhaps find new paths to future modes of writing.

Children's Stage

A Day at the Market [Sat 11:00]
Sara Anderson

The fish mongers, buskers, farmers, and dumpster divers of the Pike Place Market are artist Sara Anderson's family and she will bring a pocketful of them to the Bookfest stage to share the taste of her daily life she has recreated in her picture book, A Day at the Market. FOR AGES 0-8

Of Fairy Wings and Horsey Things [Sat 11:30]
Tara Larsen Chang, Jo Gershman

How does a girl become a magical fairy? How do you make a horse into a fairy horse? How do two artists become children's book illustrators? Tara and Jo talk about creating their Fairy Chronicles and Wind Dancer characters and then give a drawing demonstration that you can help with. And you can design your own fairy or fairy horse and make it as magical or realistic as you wish! FOR AGES 6-12

PANEL: So you wanna write a kids book? [Sat Noon]
Royce Buckingham, Amanda Noll, Joni Sensel, Clete Smith, Samantha R. Vamos, Jim Whiting

A panel of six published authors, ranging from first-timers already attracting rave reviews to veterans with dozens of books to their credit, will discuss the basics of breaking into kids' book publishing. Topics include turning your idea into a professional manuscript, feeding your dream while understanding the business, how to pitch editors and agents, common myths about writing for kids and much more. There will also be plenty of time for questions. FOR ADULTS

PANEL: Art, Death & Oddness in Teen Novels [Sat 1:00pm]
Sean Beaudoin, Liz Gallagher, Amber Kizer

Three local authors of young adult books discuss where they get their ideas and why writing for teens is awesome. From realistic coming-of-age fiction about a girl emerging from her cocoon, to the genre-bending story of a girl who might be going crazy (and is haunted by an ice cream truck), to the journey of a half-angel taking control of her destiny, meet exciting new characters and the writers who created them. FOR AGES 12-22

PANEL: Where Do You Get Your Ideas? [Sat 2:00pm]
Mary Jane Beaufrand, Peggy King Anderson

Are you a budding writer but don't know where to start? Peggy King Anderson and Mary Jane Beaufrand, two writers of Children's and Young Adult Fiction (not to mention writing buddies from way back), will discuss this question that writers get asked most frequently. Together, we'll explore some sources of inspiration to help you jump-start your creativity! FOR AGES 8+

MAD LIBS PARTY [Sat 3:00pm]
Master of Ceremonies: Kim Baker

Penguin celebrated the 50th birthday of Mad Libs last year...come join us as we play a few rounds, and see why the best party game has been giddily around for so long! Kim Baker is the perfect ringmaster for our fun, as she brings out the funny in kids and herself. FOR AGES 6-12

Zolyan Dance Performance and Reading from Stealing Death [Sat 3:30pm]
Janet Lee Carey

Get into the beat! Join author Janet Lee Carey and dancer Aina Braxton as they celebrate Janet's latest YA fantasy through dancing and dramatic reading. Be the first to win a free signed copy of Stealing Death! FOR AGES 12-17

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE [Sat 4:00pm]
Kevin Emerson & "The Board of Education: Literary Edition"

Let's Get SIC, Seattle & GRAMMAR BEE [Sat 5:00pm]
Martha Brockenbrough

If you cry on the inside when you get spam that says, "I hear your looking for a fling," then you won't want to miss the [SIC] hour at Seattle Bookfest. Martha Brockenbrough, author of the loopy grammar guide Things That Make Us [Sic], will be your host. She'll read from her book, sympathize as you share your own grammar pet peeves, do surprising and educational things with a large chicken, and emcee a rousing grammar bee (the winner gets a handsome orange button because, sadly, there is very little money in punctuation and syntax). FOR AGES 8+

[return to Top]

PANEL: Beyond Twilight [Sun 10:00am]
Colleen Conway, Peggy Lindgrin, Deanna Meyerhoff, Chris Sutterland

Have you devoured all the Twilight books and now want a new series or author to call your new favorite? Are you not finished with Vampires and other Paranormals and their adventures and romances, and want to know what your other options are? This is your chance to look to the experts! Have no doubt, book publishers have been paying attention to the phenomenon that was and is Twilight, and they're rolling out fare for Bella and Edward's fervent fans to flock to next! Find out what else is out there for you! Join publishers' representatives from Penguin, Random House, Scholastic and MacMillan, as they introduce their newly released and near future choices for your consideration. Twilight fans will not be disappointed! Galley giveaways! FOR AGES 12+

Diverse Families, Diverse Books [Sun 11:00am]
Sundee T. Frazier, Samantha R. Vamos

Join Sundee T. Frazier, award-winning author of Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It (2008 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent and a 2009 Sasquatch Award nominee), and Samantha R. Vamos, an exciting new author of bilingual children's books Before You Were Here, Mi Amor, as they talk about growing up multicultural and biracial, read from their works, and offer their recommendations for other books featuring interracial and multicultural families. Frazier's novel tells the story of a biracial boy who builds a secret friendship with his white grandpa in search of the truth about why they've never met. Vamos' picture book interweaves Spanish and English text into a seamless, lyrical description of the things that one extended family does to welcome a new child into the world. A presentation for all families! ALL AGES WELCOME.

Halloween is Coming [Sun Noon]
Rebecca Dickinson, Deb Lund, Kathryn O. Galbraith

Story time with picture book author/illustrators reading their new Halloween-themed books. Your first chance to show off your new Halloween costume!!!! Come to the emcee'd costume parade with prizes! FOR AGES 2-10

The Amethyst Road [Sun 1:00pm]
Louise Spiegler

The Amethyst Road is a fantasy set in an alternative Pacific Northwest, in which a mixed-race girl must fight hardship and racial hatred to find and reunite her scattered family. The book was a Junior Library Book Club selection, and a finalist for the Andre Norton Award (Hugo-Nebula award scheme). Booklist says of The Amethyst Road, "This work is not only unique in its smooth and imaginative integration of genres; it offers an original blend of societal grit and compelling fantasy-based spirituality. A terrific read for teens." FOR AGES 12+

Monkey World [Sun 1:30pm]
Matthew Porter

Come hear a bit about how local children's book illustrator and writer Matthew Porter got started and some poems from his most recent children's book, Monkey World: An A - Z of Occupations. Written in the style of classic nonsense verse, each poem tells the story of a delightful monkey and his occupation. FOR AGES 0-8 (and arty hipster adults)

PANEL: The Writer's Childhood [Sun 2:00pm]
Bonny Becker, Kathryn O. Galbraith, Dave Patenaude, Joni Sensel

Are you destined to be a writer? Is your child? Is your writing career doomed because you come from a happy family? Just want to hear funny stories? Children's authors Bonny Becker, Kathryn Galbraith, David Patneaude and Joni Sensel discuss the writer's childhood using examples from their own checkered pasts. FOR AGES 4-ADULT

MAD LIBS PARTY [Sun 3:00pm]
Master of Ceremonies: Kim Baker

Penguin celebrated the 50th birthday of Mad Libs last year...come join us as we play a few rounds, and see why the best party game has been giddily around for so long! Kim Baker is the perfect ringmaster for our fun, as she brings out the funny in kids and herself. FOR AGES 6-12

Don't Lick the Dog [Sun 3:30pm]
Wendy Wahman

Meeting a new dog is exciting, but it can also be scary. This humorous how-to manual shows kids the best ways to interact with unfamiliar dogs, providing helpful tips about all sorts of dog behavior. Children often don't understand what dogs' actions mean and can misinterpret a threatening signal for a friendly one and vice versa. Kids and parents will return to Wendy Wahman's playful illustrations again and again for useful reminders: Slow Down. Stay very still. And remember, don't lick the dog! FOR AGES 4-8

PANEL: Beyond Forks: Teen and Tween Books Set in The Pacific NW [Sun 4:00pm]
Heather Davis, Kevin Emerson, Liz Gallagher

Three local authors discuss how their Northwest surroundings held sway over their teen and middle-grade novels. From vampires who take over the city at night to a werewolf who thrives in the woods to a girl growing up near the Fremont Troll, meet characters inspired by our unique environment and get to know their stories and creators. FOR AGES 12-22

[return to Top]

PANEL Stage

PANEL: Publishing in the 21st Century [Sat 11:00am]
Book Publishers Northwest

Thinking about publishing the book yourself? Want to launch a new business publishing other people's books? Have a great blog that could turn into a best-selling book if you only understood what an ISBN is? Meet the people who have been publishing both their own work and others for many years, learn how they started their business, and what support is out there for new publishers. Book Publishers Northwest is a 30-year-old nonprofit trade association devoted to promoting, publicizing, and encouraging book publishing businesses located in the Northwest. Panel speakers include Northwest publishers Tom Masters, Orion/Wellspring; Miryam Gordon, Green Elms Press; Tom Blaschko, Idyll Arbor; Diane Frank, DMFrank Publishing; Robert Goldstein, Rivendell Publishing; and Morten Nilsen, Counterbalance Books.

PANEL: Urban Nature [Sat Noon]
Maria Dolan, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Kathryn True, David B. Williams

Join urban natural history writers Maria Dolan and Kathryn True (co-authors of Nature in the City: Seattle), Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness), and David B. Williams (Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology) as they explore the relationship between people and place in the urban landscape. They will discuss stories that weave together not only plants and animals but also the human inhabitants, past and present, who make up an integral part of the city. In doing so, they are forging a new way to look at nature and a new way to develop deeper connections to place.

Write a Novel in 30 Days [Sat 1:00pm]
Ann Gonzalez

Do you have an idea for a novel but no time to write it? Well, you aren't alone. That's why Chris Baty and his friends started National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) in the first place - to give you and 100,000+ other writers the opportunity and the excuse to write the stories you've always wanted to write. Join Ann Gonzalez, a writer who discovered she is a nano-novelist after writing and selling her first novel, Running for My Life, and prepare yourself to write 50,000 words this November. Writing a novel in thirty days sounds crazy, and it may be. However, with the support and encouragement of thousands of other writers it's not only possible, it's fun. Crazy fun.

PANEL: Writing on the Land [Sat 2:00pm]
Raven Chronicles - Goldie Caughlan, Thomas Hubbard, Paul Hunter, Anne Schwartz

Farming employs over a third of the world's population, yet agricultural production today accounts for less than five percent of the gross world product. Which suggests how the work and its output are devalued in the marketplace, with the lion's share accruing not to growers, but to corporate processors, transporters, distributors and retailers, producers of hybrid seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, equipment and fuel.

Rather than focusing on how we got to this point, let's talk about where to go from here - what's happening out there in communities around the country and around the world, strategies to take back the task of feeding ourselves. What should we be doing as individuals, and where can we look for answers to questions of scale, sustainability, health, and security when it comes to issues of food.

PANEL: Contemporary Graphic Novels [Sat 3:00pm]
Ellen Forney, Gary Groth, Megan Kelso, Leigh Walton

Fantagraphics Books publisher Gary Groth will moderate a conversation between local cartoonists Megan Kelso and Ellen Forney. The discussion will be geared to a general audience that is interested in or curious about but not necessarily rabid over the comics form. Expect a reasonably sophisticated but by no means daunting chatfest.

PANEL: The Difference Between Mystery & Thriller [Sat 4:00pm]
Robert Ferrigno, Michael Gruber, Kevin O'Brien

[return to Top]

PANEL: Invoking & Evoking the PNW in Stories [Sun 11:00am]
Maria Semple, Kit Bakke, Erica Bauermeister, Carol Cassella, Randy Sue Coburn, Mary Guterson, Stephanie Kallos, Jennie Shortridge

Seattle7Writers is a collective of Pacific Northwest authors who are intent on creating connections between Northwest writers and readers with the rallying cry of "Read Local!" They will read passages from their books that evoke the Pacific Northwest or are somehow influenced by it, and discuss how living and working here enhances their storytelling. Bring any and all questions about writing in general, the stories behind their books, their individual paths to success...whatever you most want to know.

Each Seattle7 author will also read more extensively from her or his work at some point during the festival, so check the schedule to hear your favorite author (including Seattle7 cofounder Garth Stein and member Maria Semple, who will each read on Saturday but cannot make the panel).

PANEL: Getting Published, from A to Z [Sun Noon]
Matt Briggs, Jerome Gold, Jim Harris, Epicenter Press

The panel will be moderated by Jerry Gold of Black Heron Press and will include Kent Sturgis of Epicenter Press; David Horowitz of Rose Alley Press; author Matt Briggs; and Jim Harris, an independent sales representative. Each publisher participant specializes in a particular aspect of publishing: Black Heron Press publishes primarily fiction; Epicenter Press does mostly regional nonfiction; Rose Alley publishes poetry; Matt Briggs has been investigating electronic alternatives to traditional publishing. Jim Harris will discuss presenting books to stores and wholesalers. Each panel participant will open with a statement about what he or she looks for in a book that has been submitted, and why. Then we will open it up to questions from the audience.

PANEL: Writing Romance [Sun 1:00pm]
Pam Binder, Sheila Roberts

Learn from this panel of experts why romance is both good for the soul and the bank account. Authors will discuss the many facets of this important segment of publishing as well as the how-to's of getting your romance novel published.

Children Teaching Stories [Sun 2:00pm]
All Bilingual Press

The workshop will feature a brief presentation on psychological content and effect as the distinguishing elements of teaching stories. The stories will be placed in the context of the larger wisdom corpus, such as Sufi stories, in which an overt moral is not present, and briefly compared and contrasted to other types of children's and other literature. The importance of reading these stories will be emphasized, with some anecdotal reference to experiences in the counseling context and with our own children. Several stories will be presented, and attendees will be invited to read and discuss them. Hoopoe and other children's books will be available for audience perusal.

Pongo Speaks [Sun 3:00pm]
Pongo Publishing

PongoSpeaks! is a collaborative project born of two veteran youth literary non-profits which have a combined total of 25 years experience serving Seattle's young people: Pongo Publishing and Youth Speaks Seattle. Performing artists from Youth Speaks will bring the words of Pongo Publishing authors, all of whom are incarcerated youth, to Seattle Bookfest for a performance like none other.

PANEL: Meet the Critics [Sun 4:00pm]
Paul Constant, Mary Ann Gwinn, Adam Woog

PANEL: Would I Lie? The Nonfiction Flash/Micro-memoir [Sun 5:00pm]
Matt Briggs, Tim Elhajj

Novelist Matt Briggs and essayist Tim Elhajj will read from and talk about the "the nonfiction flash" or "micro-memoir" that is the personal essay under 1,500 words. James Whorton Jr. who edited a special issue of micro-memoir for the Mississippi Review wrote: "We talk about the various narrative genres—novel, memoir, short story, straight journalism—as though these categories have a separate existence from the particular works they describe. Credibility does not reside in the genre, however, but in the person of the writer. Books don't lie to us, people do: we've been lied to by neighbors, Presidents, and novelists alike, and skepticism will never be made obsolete by any refinement of the literary categories. It will always be indispensable both to citizenship and to literacy" ("Partly True Stories" Mississippi Review). In this reading and discussion, Briggs and Elhajj will read work that, they hope, seems real. And they will talk about the sleight of hand of telling the "real" story.

[return to Top]

WORKSHOP ROOM

Interactive Illustrating [Sat 10:00am]
Mary Gregg Byrne

Award-winning illustrator, Mary Gregg Byrne, will utilize interaction with her audience and create an original character and story for everyone's enjoyment using her wide range of artistic abilities.

Mythbuster: Artist and Author Work Together [Sat 11:00am]
Terri Cohlene, Doug Keith

Acclaimed author, poet and playwright, Terri Cohlene, will join Doug Keith, noted illustrator of more than 40 books, to vividly demonstrate how one award-winning children's book was created.

Bookbinding Demonstration [Sat Noon-4pm and Sun Noon-4pm]

Drop by and bind a book! University of Washington volunteers will be hosting a bookmaking workshop for kids and families from 12:00 - 4:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Children will construct a single signature book which they can take with them and use to write and draw their own stories.

Baking Kids Love: Interactive Cooking Demo [Sat 4:00pm]
Cindy Mushet

Join award-winning cookbook author and pastry chef Cindy Mushet, along with her 11-year-old daughter, Bella, for a fun and interactive cooking demo from Baking Kids Love, Cindy's newest book with Sur La Table. Cindy and Bella will talk about how to throw a fun cookie party and kids can join in the fun to decorate Halloween cookies. Receive a Sur La Table discount coupon with book purchase.

Parenting with Pets [Sun 11:00am]
Chris Hamer, Margaret Hevel

Being a parent is a hectic job. Adding pet ownership on top of that can sometimes feel overwhelming. But the authors of Parenting with Pets: The Magic of Raising Children with Animals, Chris Hamer and Margaret Hevel, feel that, though it may add to your busy schedule, raising children with animals can be a life-changing, worthwhile experience for your children. Come explore with Chris the reasons children should own a pet. Hear heartwarming stories from children and share some of your own.

Creating Varied Artworks: Illustration Workshop [Sun 4:00pm]
Robert Rogalski

Robert Rogalski (illustrator, sculpter, puppeteer and set designer) will fascinate and amuse children and adults alike by demonstrating his methodology for creating his varied art works.

[return to Top]

Other

Play SCRABBLE [Room 10]
Seattle SCRABBLE Club

The Seattle SCRABBLE Club will have game boards set up where you can "challenge an expert" or sit down for a friendly game. Learn about the competive SCRABBLE scene in Seattle (and around the country). Pick up tips to improve your game along with free word lists.

More info at: www.seattlescrabble.org.

Book Swap [Room 16]
Friends of the Seattle Public Library

Friends of the Seattle Public Library will hold a Book Swap on both Saturday and Sunday. Support your local libraries and bring a book to swap or buy one for just $1.

Schedule and Floor plan | Poetry and Author Stages | Children's Stage | Panel Stage | Workshop Room | Other