Annual reading festival to welcome bestselling authors

The Lee County Library System, of which the Captiva Memorial Library is a part of, will host 30 bestselling authors during its 25th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival on March 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the outdoor campus of the Fort Myers Regional Library, at 2450 First St., Fort Myers.
At the free event, authors for all ages will meet with fans and showcase their books.
The outdoor celebration will give fans the opportunity to meet a diverse line-up of bestselling authors, get books signed, and discover the latest books and digital resources offered by the library. In addition, there will be storytelling, a book giveaway for children and teens, youth writing award presentations, arts and crafts and more. Food truck vendors will be available at the event.
“We are so excited to celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary,” festival coordinator and library system Manager of Programming and Community Outreach Melissa Baker said. “Throughout the years, the festival has attracted many authors at different stages in their careers.”
The first festival in 2000 was held at Centennial Park in Fort Myers. With over 12,000 attendees, the event featured 28 authors including journalist Carl Hiaasen as the keynote speaker.
Attendees wanting more access to this year’s authors can attend “An Evening with the Authors” on March 1 at the historic Burroughs Home and Gardens on the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers. The signature fundraising event gives attendees time to mingle with the authors, while enjoying dinner.
For more information about the festival, author lineup and more, visit Readfest.org.
The Southwest Florida Reading Festival is free and community-supported through donations, sponsorships and grants. To support the event, visit www.ReadFest.org or contact 239-533-4832.