Jane and Michael Stern, authors, NPR food personalities and America’s number one arbiters of road food cuisine, are headlining the 7^th Annual Kerrytown BookFest September 13, 11a.m.-5 p.m. at the Farmers Market in Ann Arbor Michigan.

The BookFest’s theme is Culinary Michigan and features numerous programs focusing on the culinary aspects of literature. In addition, there is a cake-making contest with a literary theme for professionals and amateurs.

Joining the Sterns, who contribute weekly to NPR’s the Splendid Table, will be Ari Weinzweig, co-founder and owner of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and author the recently published book “Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon”. As Honorary Chair of the 2009 Kerrytown BookFest, Weinzweig will present the KBF’s Community Book Award to Jan Langone, culinary historian at the U-M Clement’s Library. All four will participate in a panel sponsored by Michigan Radio on local food in the world and the local influence of global foodways.

Robin Agnew, KBF president and co-owner of Aunt Agatha’s mystery bookshop, said this year’s BookFest has an amazing array of culinary-related programming, in addition to the traditional author, children and literary events.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to bring Jane and Michael Stern to the event along with the nation’s number one thriller writer Jeffrey Deaver. We have a packed day of events for everyone.”

Other culinary-related events include programs on Michigan foods, a panel of culinary mystery authors, cooking demonstrations and a panel of food bloggers who will discuss the hottest trends in culinary writing.

Hollander’s in Kerrytown will host a series of workshops and presentations, including how to construct a decorative collage from food magazines (you can’t do that with a blog) and creating a one of a kind recipe file.  In addition, Eli and Max Sussman will conduct a cooking demonstration in Hollander’s Kitchen and Home Store based on their best-selling cookbook “Freshman in the Kitchen” at Hollanders.

The Edible Book Contest will feature cakes by local chefs, celebrities and friends of the BookFest. Entries must have something to do with books-book titles, characters, authors, or book art and must be at least partially edible. (Think: “Catcher in the Rye”). The contest will be judged by the Sterns. In addition, other cakes donated to the BookFest will be used as prizes for a fund-raising cake walk with one-half the proceeds going to the local Food Gatherers food bank. 

Food and art will also meet in a book jacket design contest with local high school students competing to redesign the cover of “The First American Cookbook,” published in 1796.

There will be a children’s tent featuring book making, paper making and paper crafts including edible papyrus paper, storytelling and a cup cake decorating program for children. New York Times Best Selling children’s author Ruth McNally Barshaw will be joined by first-time children’s author John Perry of Ann Arbor who has his own unique twist on a culinary theme with his children’s book “The Book That Eats People”.

In addition to the Sterns-Weinzweig panel, three other panel discussions will focus on the culinary arts: 

Michivore: Cherries, Fish & Jiffy Mix:

 Moderator Steve Klein of the Huron River Press leads a discussion with food authors Cynthia Furlong Reynolds, T.R. Dunham, Patty LaNoue Stearns and Tom Bloomer, who coined the term “Michivore.” 

Mysteries to Cook By:

Moderator Angelee Kovach leads a discussion with mystery authors Julie Hyzy, JoAnna Carl, and Miranda Bliss. All of the writers include cooking, catering, or in one case, the White House kitchen in their books. 

Eating Online: Local Food Bloggers:

Moderator Bonnie Bucqueroux of www.sustainablefarmer.com leads a discussion with area food bloggers the Gastronomical Three, Kim Bayer of farmersmarketer.com and the creator of the kitrchenchick.com. They’ll talk about how food blogging is influencing not only how, when, where and what we eat, but also where we shop and what we grow.

KBF is also creating a special exhibit “Culinary Michigan: Cookbooks” from September 3-October 14 in the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library. It features culinary memorabilia, historic and unusual cookbooks and ephemera from public and private collections including those of Community Book Award Winner Jan Longone and Michigan State University’s special collections.

In addition to the culinary-related authors and events, blockbuster thriller writer Jeffery Deaver will speak at the Kerrytown BookFest and sign books. Other programs will focus on the 1960s counterculture, music and the ‘60s, true crime, the future of print journalism, and husband and wife writers. Also Michigan Notable Book Award Winner Mary Ellen Geist will discuss her book “A Measure of the Heart,” including a Power Point presentation about her father, who has Alzheimer’s and who is the subject of her book. 

The Kerrtown BookFest is sponsored by the Michigan Humanities Council; Michigan Radio; Bank of Ann Arbor, Jiffy Mix, Hollanders, Motte & Bailey Bookstore, the Ann Arbor Observer, Aunt Agatha’s, mittenlit.com and WEMU. Jeffery Deaver’s appearance is sponsored by Aunt Agatha’s and Amelia Musser.

A complete schedule of events and authors is available at www.kerrytownbookfest.org