Southwest Florida Reading Festival to kick off early
Avid readers and fans will not have to wait for the Lee County Library System’s Southwest Florida Reading Festival in March to enjoy author visits, books signings and other book-focused events.
The pre-festival programs to celebrate the power of reading will begin this month and will be held throughout the library system. Visiting authors will include Jennifer Coburn, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Jean Kwok and Terrie Farley Moran. In addition, readers can participate in themed book discussions; writers can join a virtual event on working with a literary agent; children can join artist Carolyn Gora, who will present her picture books with a drawing lesson; and more.
The events are free and open to the public.
To register for the programs or for more information, visit https://readfest.org/.
In addition, An Evening with the Authors — the festival’s premier fundraiser — will take place on Feb. 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Burroughs Home and Gardens in Fort Myers. The event will give attendees a chance to meet and mingle with the authors as part of a dining experience, with a silent auction planned to support the festival. Tickets are $90 and will be available through Jan. 30.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit https://readfest.org/.
The festival will be held on March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fort Myers Regional Library in Fort Myers. The free event draws thousands of booklovers annually to meet dozens of internationally recognized authors of books for adults, teens and children. Every attendee can choose a free book at the event. Ongoing entertainment will include author talks and book signings, library resource demos, youth writing awards, crafts, and food and merchandise for purchase.
“There is a lot of variety in the featured author line-up, with powerhouse writers like Debbie Macomber and Reed Farrel Coleman that will be a big draw for attendees this year,” festival coordinator Melissa Baker said.
For more information, visit https://readfest.org/.