The Virginia Festival of the Book is a 5-day festival of mostly free literary events that are open to the public as we honor book culture and promote reading and literacy.
Thank you for making the 2011 Festival so much fun. Please plan to join us for The 18th annual VA Festival of the Book March 21-25, 2012!
2011 Slideshows
Opening Day
The Festival kicked off on Wednesday with the Leadership Breakfast and ended with An Evening with Kathryn Stockett. If you missed these or anything in between, including these Letters About Literature winners, be sure to take a look at this recap!
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Thursday
The death penalty, Jim Lehrer, and new fiction with Alan Cheuse all in one day? You better believe it.
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Jim Lehrer
Super is a humorous mystery set all on the Super Chief, train to the Stars. Clark Gable is only one of the interesting characters in the book. Where else can one be entertained while learning about stars, Hollywood...and trains.
Listen to Jim Lehrer Discuss Super
Friday
Friday was packed with more than 35 events including an exploration of Google & New Media, Illustrated Books, Nanotechnology and of course Friday Night Frights!
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Weekend Highlights
The weekend started off with StoryFest for children & families, included the crime wave luncheon with Kathy Reichs, recognition of our poster contest winners, Imagine Ireland and the Authors Reception. Festivities concluded with NPR's Scott Simon celebration of adoption.
View Slideshow
Festival In The News
- Letters About Literature National Winner | Nelson County Times
- 21,520 attended Festival of the Book | Daily Progress
- NEH Chairman: Bring Back Respect and Compromise to Politics and Public Speech
- Unpopular speech topic of book festival event | Daily Progress
- Lithwick, Day share experiences of being women writers | Daily Progress
2011 Highlights
- Americans in China
- An American War in Asia
- Breakthroughs that Change Our Medicine, Our Lives
- Court Cases: Death Penalty & Pornography
- Celebrating Our Cosmic Heritage
- Google, The New Media
- David Shenk - Leadership Breakfast
- Founding Fathers & Religion
- Health Care in America Today
- Illustrated Book
- Imagine Ireland
- Jim Lehrer - Luncheon
- Kathy Reichs - Crime Wave
- Kathryn Stockett
- Muslim Women
- Opening Ceremony
- Scott Simon
- Voices From The Middle East
2011 Video: Book TV
- Introduction to the Virginia Festival of the Book
- Breakthroughs That Change Our Medicine, Our Lives
- Introduction for The Imperial Presidency
- The Imperial Presidency
- Armed Humanitarians: The Rise of Nation Builders
- Introduction to Court Cases
- Common Sense: A Political History
- If That Ever Happens to Me