THE TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
This day-long autumn gala gathers the Twin Cities book community to celebrate and promote our region's literary culture. The Rain Taxi-sponsored Twin Cities Book Festival creates a unique opportunity for the great variety of area publishers, editors, book artists, writers, scholars, and critics to present their work and words.
In addition to an exhibit which showcases a wide range of local, regional, and national publications, regular features of the Twin Cities Book Festival include Book Arts Demonstrations run by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, a Used Book Sale, Local Author Signings, and a Literary Magazine Fair, all adding to the constant bustle of activity and discovery.
Although still growing, the Twin Cities Book Festival has put Minnesota on the map of national literary events. As Poets & Writers commented, "With events like the second annual Twin Cities Book Festival… the Twin Cities are gaining the kind of reputation for scene-setting that the literary hubs of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have long enjoyed." Read more at www.pw.org/mag/pc_minneapolis.htm
Click on the year and revisit the highlights of past Twin Cities Book Festivals!
2001 Twin Cities Book Festival
2002 Twin Cities Book Festival
2003 Twin Cities Book Festival
2004 Twin Cities Book Festival
2005 Twin Cities Book Festival
2006 Twin Cities Book Festival
2007 Twin Cities Book Festival
2007 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
David Lubar
Another great turnout for the seventh annual Twin Cities Book Festival proves its staying power! On October 13, 2007 book lovers came together to celebrate the written word, enjoying the word wares of the exhibitors and discovering new books and authors throughout the day. Highlights this year included the new Children's Storytelling Circle with a campfire coziness created just for kids! Children of all ages enjoyed readings by Carol McCormick, Minnesota Lynx player Lindsey Harding, and special guest David Lubar, author of Curse of the Campfire Weenies! Other activities included a Nature's Yucky Quiz Bowl and a the chance to read to a dog with the Humane Society's Animal Ambassador of Reading Fun!
Chris Abani
We had more readings and panels than ever this year! Festival guest authors included award-winning Nigerian poet and novelist Chris Abani; bestselling Iranian-American author Gina B. Nahai; inventive novelist Diane Williams; ethnobotonist Dale Pendell; visionary journalist Daniel Pinchbeck; comics writer Andrew Helfer; celebrated Toronto writer Linda Spalding; Minnesota physician and photographer David L. Parker; award-winning poets Bin Ramke and Laura Moriarty; and all the way from Holland, Dutch poets Kees 't Hart and Arjen Duinker! There were two panel discussions: three young adult writers—David Lubar, Simone Elkeles, and Patrick Jones—converged to dispense wisdom on writing for the pesky teenager, and the Minnesota Crime Wave (Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart, and William Kent Krueger) gathered to discuss the unique perspective of a Minnesotan when it comes to writing about murder.
Kees ’t Hart and Arjen Duinker
There were also dozens of local author signings on the festival floor throughout the day. Some of the many authors who appeared include: Thomas Maltman, Rick Shefchik, Pete Hautman, Julie Schumacher, Matthew Sanford, Patricia Hampl, Jude Nutter, JoAnn Verberg, Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky, John Minczeski, Emilie buchwald Jim Lenfestey, Zak Sally, and many more!
The Book Festival wants to thank the 2007 Book Festival Staff for their hard work to bring the festival together and keep things running smoothly throughout the day: Emily Cook, Kristin Livdahl, William Alexander, Susan Buechler, Alica Conroy, Liz McLemore, and Rebecca Weaver. We also gratefully acknowledge our media sponsors: City Pages and Minnesota Public Radio and thank them for their continued support of the arts. A big thank you to BookMobile for printing the program; to the Department of German, Scandinavian, and Dutch at the University of Minnesota for co-presenting the Dutch poets; to beFamily for co-sponsoring the children's activities; to Keith Carlson and Tamara Lange of Bloomington Carpet One for donating carpet to the Children's Storytelling Circle; and to the Guthrie Theater, The Onion, and The Rake for their support. And, finally, a huge thanks to our volunteers who helped with organization, set-up, break-down, and innumerable tasks during the event.
The 2007 Twin Cities Book Festival was made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council through an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature; and with generous support from the Carolyn Foundation.
2006 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Mark Danielewski
With record attendance and a lineup of amazing authors from around the world, the Sixth Annual Twin Cities Book Festival was a fantastic day for readers and writers alike. Held on Saturday, October 14, 2006, for the third year at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, the festival featured events in a wide range of genres to appeal to book lovers of all ages. Highlights of the day included readings by award-winning authors; a Lemony Snickett book-launch event complete with an accordionist-led march through the exhibit hall; a used book sale with bargains and hard-to-find gems from booksellers from around the region; and an exhibit hall featuring area publishers, literary magazines, local arts organizations, and many more, almost all of whom offered great deals and special events just for festival goers.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Guest authors this year included acclaimed Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; National Book Award nominee Mark Danielewski; macabre and entertaining author Mary Roach discussing science and the afterlife; the prolific and powerful poet, novelist and critic John Yau; music historian Steven Lee Beeber in conversation with 89.3 The Current's Mary Lucia about Jewish punk rock; blogger and ambitious home chef Julie Powell discussing her best-selling account of a year with Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking; biographer Lawrence Sutin on the impact of Buddhism in the West; a special book launch event for A Mermaid's Tale by debut author Amanda Adams; a panel on editing fantasy with Gavin Grant and Kelly Link of Small Beer Press; Newbery-Honor winner Shannon Hale; and a local celebrity Spelling Bee hosted by Steve Kleinedler, Senior Editor of the American Heritage Dictionary.
Mary Roach
The Book Festival wants to thank coordinators Chris Fischbach, Emily Cook, and Jessica Bennett for their hard work to bring the festival together and keep things running smoothly throughout the day. We also acknowledge our media sponsor, City Pages, and thank them for their continued support of the arts. A big thank you to Project Logos: The Center for Creative Writing and the Literary Arts Institute of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University for co-sponsoring John Yau's appearance. And, finally, a huge thanks to our volunteers who helped with organization, set-up, break-down, and innumerable tasks during the event.
The 2006 Twin Cities Book Festival was made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature.
2005 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Rick Moody
The Fifth Annual Twin Cities Book Festival, held on Saturday, October 15, 2005, at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College in downtown Minneapolis, was the biggest and best to date, living up to the Festival's growing reputation as an indispensible component of the Twin Cities literary scene. 85 area publishers, literary magazines, book artists, and community organizations exhibited, many featuring book signings, special events, and sales for festival goers.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Our guest authors this year included American Splendor author Harvey Pekar in conversation with 89.3 The Current's Mary Lucia; award-winning, critically-acclaimed, and best-selling author Rick Moody; the spellbinding Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of Queen of Dreams; Audrey Niffenegger illuminating the process behind her illustrated novel The Three Incestuous Sisters; novelist and essayist Siri Hustvedt discussing her latest collection of essays on art; young adult authors Pete Hautman and Alison McGhee; poet, playwright, novelist, and critic Ana Castillo; Forrest Gander and Eliot Weinberger on the glorious past and vibrant future of New Directions; children's author Warren Hanson and his friend PEEF the Christmas Bear; Wellstone Action communications director Bill Lofy on his new biography of Paul Wellstone; and MCBA Book Artists showing how book arts can transform the literary. All events were well attended and appreciated, and some even filled to overflowing!
Siri Hustvedt
Coordinators Emily Cook, Chris Fischbach and Lisa Fink once again worked tirelessly to make the day a huge success. We heartily thank our media sponsors, City Pages and 89.3 The Current, and the following local businesses for their support: Joe's Garage, Barbette/Bryant Lake Bowl, Twin City Grill, Crema Cafe, Peace Coffee, and Open Book. As always, we send a huge thanks to all of our volunteers who made the day possible; to our esteemed authors who gave of their time and energy; and to all of our wonderful exhibitors!
2004 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Nearly 4000 people attended the 2004 Twin Cities Book Festival held on Saturday, October 16, 2004, at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College in downtown Minneapolis. Over 75 area publishers, literary magazines, book artists, and arts organizations showed off their literary wares to an enthusiastic crowd.
Karen Joy Fowler
Fantastic readings by guest authors included best-seller Karen Joy Fowler, a joint poetry reading with Fanny Howe and Eleni Sikelianos, and a joint fiction reading with Wayne Koestenbaum and Doug Nufer. Readings by children's authors included a joint reading with Kate DiCamillo and Julie Schumacher, and storybook readings for the younger set by Rick Kupchella and Sun Yung Shin.
Fanny Howe
Special sessions featured a writing workshop with Chris Baty, founder of National Novel-writing Month, a "Trials of Publishing" panel discussion with novelists Janet Desaulniers and Sheila O'Connor, a visual presentation on the comic book industry by cartoonist Zander Cannon, a hands-on activity session on the Great North American Prairie, and book arts fun with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
Wayne Koestenbaum
Special thanks go out to coordinators Chris Fischbach and Lisa Fink for their hard work on the festival, and to City Pages for media sponsorship. And a big thanks to all of our volunteers who made the festival run as smoothly as it did, to the wonderful authors who gave terrific readings and presentations, and the exhibitors who made the festival a smashing success!
2003 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Our highly successful 2003 festival was held on Saturday, September 27th at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) in downtown Minneapolis. The day's events included:
Featured readings by Nick Bantock (of Griffin and Sabine fame), acclaimed author Charles Baxter, comic artist and writer Peter Kuper, and young adult novelist Kathe Koja. Special activities for kids included a puppet-making workshop with Galumph Interactive Theater, hands-on fun with the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts, and storybook readings. The festival featured two great panel discussions--"Beyond Harry Potter" and "Rethinking the Book Club"--as well as a presentation by the Movie Maven. There were also author signings, raffles and giveaways, a literary magazine fair, and a great used book sale!
Nick Bantock gave a fantastic presentation, discussing the inception of the Griffin and Sabine series of books, presenting a slideshow of his unique art, and reading from The Morning Star, the latest volume of his illustrated, epistolary novels. Bantock read with famed local Guthrie actor Isabell Monk O'Connor to a capacity crowd.
Galumph Interactive Theater puppetmasters helped kids create their very own puppet masks. Other children's activities included hands-on Book Arts activites with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts where kids could make their very own book necklaces and story hats. Children received their own copy of the book Nine-in-One Grr! Grr! at the Hmong Story Sharing hour, sponsored by the Minnesota Humanities Commission.
Alison McGhee read from her Minnesota Book Award-winning Countdown to Kindergarten to a young and rapt audience. Other storybook readers included Lisa Westberg Peters and Nancy Carlson.
Special thanks go out to Chris Fischbach, Kathleen Anderson, Jon Skuldt, Katie Dublinski, and Neil Kozlowicz, and all the volunteers who made the Festival a great success!
The 2003 Twin Cities Book Festival was made possible in part by funds provided by Marshall Field's, with additional support from the Target Foundation. Media sponsorship was provided by City Pages.
2002 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Greatly expanded, our 2002 festival was held on Saturday, October 12 at International Market Square and featured 90 exhibitors from the local book community and beyond. The day's events included:
Getting Published: A q&a session with the Pros | Holy Cow! Press 25th Anniversary Celebration | Fuori Poetry Reading | Speaking in Tongues: Brian Evenson & Lance Olsen | Between the Panels: Comics in the 21st Century | Reading Fortune-telling: What's in Your Reading Future? | CHILDREN'S AREA | Children's Storytelling | Children's poetry workshop | Watercolor Painting with Lisa Fifield | Galumph Interactive Theatre | Reading by John Coy
SPECIAL GUEST DENIS JOHNSON read new work and old including selections from Already Dead and The Incognito Lounge. The writer also performed a rousing duet with Ann Arbor rocker Jim Roll, whose album Inhabiting the Ball includes songs with lyrics by Rick Moody and Denis Johnson.
Special thanks to Christopher Fischbach, Alicia Conroy, Anitra Budd, and all the volunteers who helped make the second Twin Cities Book Festival a success!
The 2002 Twin Cities Book Festival was made possible in part by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature, support from the City of Minneapolis City Arts Grants program, and by Marshall Field's, with additional support from the Target Foundation. Media sponsors were City Pages and Minnesota Public Radio.
2001 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Our 2001 festival was held on Saturday, October 27 at Open Book, and featured over 50 exhibitors from the local book community. The day's events included:
Children's Storytelling sessions | A tribute to the late founder of New Rivers Press | A Hypermedia performance | Minnesota Literature Quiz show | Local mystery writers | Fuori Poetry Reading | Panel discussions: "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Lit Mag" and "Innovative Fictions."
SPECIAL GUEST ROBERT CREELEY braved tight airline security due to the events of 9/11 to deliver an incredible reading. The 77-year-old Creeley spoke about his own reactions to the tragedy amidst readings from his recent work, turning a packed auditorium into an intimate gathering place.
Special thanks to Jana Robbins and Tim Schwarz, local publishing professionals and booklovers who volunteered with Rain Taxi to get the Twin Cities Book Festival off the ground, and to sponsorship provided by the College of St. Benedict and Open Book.