Southwest Florida Reading Festival celebrates power of books
Nearly 20 authors are coming to Lee County to meet fans and talk about their books at the 20th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival on March 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown Fort Myers Regional Library campus, at 2450 First St., Fort Myers.
The festival features a diverse line-up of nationally-acclaimed, best-selling authors for adults, teens and children. The free event welcomes attendees who come back year after year, as it draws about 10,000 people annually. The fans hear from and meet the authors, participate in contests and activities and find the latest and greatest in books, technology and accessories. There are also storytelling programs, arts, crafts, youth writing and coloring contests, and a free book for every child and teen.
Among the authors scheduled to attend this year are Lauren Willig and Karen White, B.A. Shapiro, Thomas Mullen, youth author Jackson Pearce and teen author Maureen Johnson, as well as audiobook narrator Johnny Heller. The complete list of authors can be found online at www.ReadFest.org.
“The festival invites popular authors to participate by sharing their real life experiences, thought processes and the evolution of their characters,” Lee County Library System Director Mindi Simon said. “It is fascinating to hear the story behind the story.”
In addition, the library system hosts several preview events at library branches leading up to the festival. Among the activities at branch sites this year are author visits around Lee County, including international best-selling author Alyson Richman at the Lakes Regional Library on Feb. 26.
The highlight of the preview events will be An Evening with the Authors fundraiser on March 1 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., which provides attendees with the opportunity to meet and mingle with the full line-up of festival authors aboard a sunset dinner cruise along the Caloosahatchee.
“This year for our 20th annual reading festival, we wanted to make the event extra special with some new offerings,” Melissa Baker, library manager of programming and community outreach, said. “New this year will be a variety of food trucks stationed on First Street, and of course the sunset cruise aboard the Capt. JP will be a treat for our guests and library supporters at the Evening with the Authors event.”
The festival is community-supported through donations, sponsorships and grants. To help ensure the continuation of the event, visit www.readfest.org to make a secure online donation.
For more information, visit www.ReadFest.org or call 239-533-4832.