Kerrytown BookFest is back for its eighth year and the focus this year is Michigan authors, illustrators and publishers in all genres. It’s one of the most popular and successful one-day book events in the country. I might be biased since I am on the Board, but what I like is the Fest is it is still planned, organized and run by all volunteers. And all of us on the Board love books so we tend to be distracted during Board meetings since we usually hold the meeting in a bookstore.

Another great attraction of the BookFest is it’s all in one place and under cover so rain or shine it goes on and everything is within a few hundred feet with most events in the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market on 4th Street.

There’s plenty of places nearby to relax and eat including the venerable flagship Zingerman’s. There are also more than 100 exhibitors and antiquarian book dealers along with some very classy artisans. And since it is on a Sunday (September 12 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.) parking is easy to find. This year expect every author to have won an award ranging from a National Book Award to a Michigan Notable Book Award. The only downside is there are so many great authors how do you get to see them all.

Read a more detailed description of the event.

The 8^th Annual Kerrytown BookFest in Ann Arbor Michigan will celebrate Michigan authors and books on Sunday, September 12, 2010. Authors in this year’s event include three National Book Award finalists; several Edgar Award and Anthony mystery award winners and nominees; a Caldecott winner and numerous Michigan Notable Book Award winners.

The Kerrytown BookFest is unique according to Gene Alloway president of the BookFest Board and owner of Motte & Bailey Bookstore in Ann Arbor. Kerrytown is an historic neighborhood in the city which includes the Ann Arbor Farmers Market where the event is held.

“The BookFest is the only festival of the book to celebrate both authors and the artists and crafts people who help create books.”

As a special attraction, mystery writer and Edgar Award winner Doug Allyn of Montrose will interview the Kerrytown BookFest’s Community Book Award Winner, Whitmore Lake mystery and western writer Loren D. Estleman. Estleman has been a National Book Award nominee, an Edgar Award finalist and has won the Spur, the Shamus and the American Mystery Award.

Alloway said that the Book Award is given each year to a person who exemplifies the spirit of the BookFest.

“Estleman is a major literary figure in the Ann Arbor community and goes out of his way to support local writers and literary events.”

Events this year include panels on Northern Noir; Paranormal Fiction; Children’s Literature; Memoirs; Historical Fiction; and Michigan literature along with hands-on demonstrations from local craftspeople.

National Book Award finalist Thomas Lynch from Milford Michigan will be interviewed by Keith Taylor, head of the University of Michigan Undergraduate Creative Writing Program; another National Book Award finalist and Caldecott Award Winner, David Small, will be interviewed by Nicola Rooney of Nicola’s Books and the third finalist Bonnie Jo Campbell will participate in the panel on Michigan literature.

This year’s event also will have a special focus on children’s literature. Best Selling authors Sarah Stewart, Mendon; Debbie Taylor, Ann Arbor; Susan Kathleen Hartung; Portage, Deborah Deisen, Grand Ledge; author and illustrator Michael Monroe and Colleen Monroe of Brighton and Lansing author-illustrator Ruth McNally Barshaw will make presentations and do readings. A group of area teen poets will also do readings and story-teller Heather O’Neal of Ann Arbor will entertain with children’s stories from Nepal.

Five Michigan authors at this year’s event have won the Michigan Authors Award presented by the Michigan Library Association. They are Steve Hamilton, Loren Estleman, Sarah Stewart, Thomas Lynch and this years’ award-winner John Smolens.

The Northern Noir panel is packed with award-winning mystery authors Steve Hamilton, Bryan Gruley and William Kent Krueger and moderated by Edgar and Anthony nominee Craig McDonald. Hamilton won the Edgar Award for his book “A Cold Day in Paradise” and Bryan Gruley book, “Starvation Lake”, was an Edgar Finalist. Krueger has won the Anthony Award three times. Gruley also was recently nominated for two Anthony awards for his first mystery “Starvation Lake”. Gruley’s most recent book, “The Hanging Tree” was selected as an Indie NEXT pick.

True crime writers Mardi Link and Gail Griffin a will discuss “Michigan Murders” –two cases about serial killers on college campuses. The University of Michigan Press will also release the updated version of the “Michigan Murders” a book by Edward Keyes about the serial killings in the Ann Arbor- Ypsilanti area during the late 1960s.

Michigan Notable Book Award winners on the BookFest program are: David Small, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Thomas Lynch, Donald Lystsra, Mardi Link, Steve Luxenberg, Loren Estleman, Steve Lehto, Steve Amick, Keith Taylor and Michael  Zadoorian.

Also this year there are two literary arts competitions: the Book Cover Design and the Edible Book Contest. Entrants to the Book Cover Design Contest which is open to Michigan high school students are being asked to create a new cover design for Hamilton’s “A Cold Day in Paradise”.

Honorary chairs for this year’s event are Joe and Karen O’Neal (Kerrytown Market and Shops) of Ann Arbor. Last year more than 5,000 attended the one day event which includes more than 100 exhibitors, artists and book sellers.

Alloway said the BookFest will feature an outstanding array of illustrators, poets, letterpress printers, calligraphers, librarians, publishers, book artists and storytellers.

The BookFest also mounts a literary exhibit in the Ann Arbor District Library. This year’s theme is “Michigan Treasures” showcasing art, dust jackets and books that represent Michigan award-winning books.

The Kerrytown BookFest Board of Directors includes bookstore owners, retailers within the Kerrytown District and representatives from the media and community. This year three new board members were added: Lynn Yates of Zingerman’s Foundation; Kate Kehoe, Hatcher Graduate Library and artisan; Meg Brown, community representative and Lisa McDonald, proprietor of the Teahaus in Kerrytown.

Other Board members are: Gene Alloway, proprietor of Motte & Bailey Bookstore; Robin Agnew, proprietor of Aunt Agatha’s mystery bookstore; John Hilton, editor of the Ann Arbor Observer, Bill Castanier, literary critic and mittenlit.com and Cindy Hollander¸ co-owner of Hollander’s, a Kerrytown shop specializing in decorative paper, bookbinding supplies and workshops.

For more information on the BookFest and for a complete listing of authors and programs visit www.kerrytownbookfest.org