Harbor Springs Festival of the Book is this week!

The third annual Harbor Springs Festival of the Book extravaganza begins this Friday at 11 a.m. Over fifty brilliant and talented authors will be reading, speaking, appearing on panels, signing autographs, and even cooking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Once again we feature a debut novelist whose book is longlisted for the National Book Award. This year it's Brandon Hobson whose Where the Dead Sit Talking evokes an eerie quality that allows the reader to enter the world of Sequoyah, a 15-year-old Cherokee boy whose mother is in prison. Several children's and young adult authors including Newbury Award Honor recipient Gary Schmidt will speak.  Mystery writers, poets, novelists, cookbook authors, and award-winning nonfiction authors will be speaking and reading.

I have the privilege of introducing the sixteen authors who will read from their works at the Soup & Stories events on Friday and Saturday from 11 to 1. I've read all sixteen of their books and attendees are in for a treat. Hobson will be reading from Where the Dead Sit Talking on Friday as will Rene Denfeld, author of one of the most atmospheric and authentic novels I've read recently.  Her The Child Finder is a novel that everyone who reads it exclaims "Wow" after finishing. We'll also introduce the Good Hart Artist Residency's first writer in residence Bryna Cofrin-Shaw who'll read at 11:30 on Friday.   

The Saturday Soup & Stories features young adult and children's authors, nonfiction authors and two fine novelists. Porter Fox, author of  Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America's Forgotten Border, will kick off the readings at 11. The events begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday with multiple programs and venues throughout the day.

Find the full schedule and synopses of each program here: https://www.hsfotb.org/2018-schedule/. If you're anywhere near northern Michigan, this is where you'll want to be this weekend.