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5th Annual Lehigh Valley Book Festival – where everyone’s a reader! Founded in 2020 and produced by Let’s Play Books and new sister bookstore, The End, the #LVBookFest has something for every reader. The Bethlehem Area Public Library, Cedar Crest College, and PBS39 are proud partners of this year’s festival, along with Emmaus Public Library, A Storybook Party, and Nowhere Coffee Co.
The LV Book Festival showcases a number of authors currently on tour for newly released books, while also providing a venue for local authors and illustrators to connect with a book-loving Lehigh Valley audience.
The Festival is free, except for two events held at The End: Neat & Narrative Reception on Friday, 3/22 ($15) and Sip, Swap & Swoon Romance Brunch on Sunday, 3/24 ($25).
As in past years, the LV Book Festival is holding a book-drive to benefit Lehigh Valley Reads. A selection of titles can be purchased at a discount, featuring our One-Book, One-Family Read pick, One Big Open Sky, by Lesa Cline-Ransome.
Featured touring authors:
Lesa Cline-Ransome, acclaimed children’s author, One Big Open Sky (Holiday House, 3/24) Candy J. Cooper, featuring pre-release of 2024 Most-Anticipated Book, SHACKLED (Calkins 4/24) Ame Dyckman, The Cozy Home: Three-and-a-half stories (Beach Lane/S&S 2/24)
Jahmal Mayfield, debut author of best-selling SMOKE KINGS (Melville House 2/24)
Matt Phelan, acclaimed illustrator/author, The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck (Greenwillow 2/24)
Greg Pizzoli, Geisel Award winning author & illustrator, LUCKY DUCK (Knopf 2/24)
Kat Yeh, Children’s & MG author, The Friend Ship (Little Brown Books for Young Readers 2/24)
Kate Zernike, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins and the Fight for Women in Science (Scribner, 2/24)
Plus more authors on tour: Xio Axelrod, Timothy Janovsky, Robin Gow, Joe McGee, Jessica Rinker, and Nisha Sharma.
Books from all presenting authors will be sold at the events. Only books purchased through the Lehigh Valley Book Festival will be eligible to be signed.
Complete schedule available at www.letsplaybooks.com
Lehigh Valley Book Festival, Complete Schedule
Wednesday, 3/20
5:30pm: Opening Keynote with award-winning and best-selling author, Greg Pizzoli Alumnae Hall, Cedar Crest College, free, no registration required.
Beyond the Pages: from Imagination to Impact (directly following keynote)
Dr. Melissa Kamyab, Education Department Chair & Assistant Professor at Cedar Crest College, will facilitate a panel discussion with acclaimed children’s authors Ame Dyckman, Greg Pizzoli and Kat Yeh about how to make a lasting impact on young minds. Books available for sale & signing after the event.
Thursday, 3/21
6pm Literary Latte @ Nowhere Coffee Co., West End.
A little latte, a little poetry and a whole lotta fun. Featuring writer Robin Gow, and students from Allentown’s
Dieruff High School.
Friday, 3/22
4pm: “Tag an Author” at the Emmaus Public Library. It’s a round-robin of fun for book-loving kids and their families! Featured authors include: Bob Boehmer: The Path to Grave Danger , Stacy Gabel: At the Zoo- oo-oo, Katarah Jordan: It’s Harvest Time, Deborah C. Mortimer: Summer Island and more!
5:30pm: Featured Presentation, From ‘The Exceptions’ to the Norm: Women’s Evolving Role in Science Join Cedar Crest College President Dr. Elizabeth Meade in conversation with Pulitzer Prize winner, Kate Zernike, author of The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science (Simon & Schuster, NYT Notable Book 2023) and Dr. Audrey Ettinger, Chair and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences.
7 – 9pm: LV Book Festival’s Neat & Narrative Reception, the end: a bookstore (tickets required)
Gather with us at The End to celebrate LV Book Fest! Enjoy a whiskey tasting with author Kurt Maitland, participate in an interactive, collaborative art installation with local artist Lorna Flowers, and meet featured authors Jahmal Mayfield, Smoke Kings and Lesa-Cline Ransome, One Big Open Sky. Cactus Blue Mexican Restaurant and McCall Collective Brewing Co. will both be on site (additional purchase required). $15.00 per person. Advance ticket required. Purchase here.
Lehigh Valley Book Festival, Complete Schedule continued
Saturday, 3/23
Family Day at Bethlehem Area Public Library
9am – 1pm Be My Neighbor Day
PBS-39 Be My Neighbor Day is a free, family-friendly event with many fun things to do! You can learn how police officers care for their horses, dance and sing with Lolly Hopwood, make bookmarks – and more!
10:30am – 12:30pm – Lehigh Valley Featured Authors
Katarah Jordan, Dana Kramaroff, Joe McGee, Deborah C. Mortimer, Matt Phelan & Jessica Rinker
12:30 – 1pm – Mindful Moments with Kira Willey, Let’s Breath Like a …
1:30 – 4pm Lehigh Valley Book Festival AUTHOR EXPO
Local writers and illustrators, characters and exhibitors for a fabulously fun afternoon celebrating the written word. Spiderman & Spider-Gwen characters, over thirty authors and illustrators, a Story Time corner, ongoing art, exhibitors, and more!
Featured authors include: Xio Axelrod, Candy J. Cooper, Valerie & Clara Deneen, Stacy Gabel, Timothy Janovsky, Dana Kramaroff, Kurt Maitland, Joan Marr, Jahmal Mayfield, Bob McLeod, Matt Phelan, Ellen Ramsey, Kira Wiley and more!
Local authors include: Christian Bensing, Suzie Bichovsky, Elle Blackenstoe, Bob Boehmer, L. Clara, Dan Conti, Anna Drew, Dave Fry, Janice Kenyatta, Marissa Koons, Kelly McPherson, Veronica Moore, Danielle S. Notaro, Berrie Togan-Randall, and more!
Sunday, 3/24
10am Sip, Swap & Swoon at the end: a bookstore
No book fest would be complete without a Happily Ever After. Join us at The End for a celebration of all things romance. Authors include: Xio Axelrod, Timothy Janovsky, Victoria Schade, and Nisha Sharma. $25 advance purchase required. Purchase here.
Information provided to TVL by:
Hayden Rinde
