CHARLESTON, W. Va.–The West Virginia Book Festival will be offered in a virtual format due to risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic this year. Originally, the Book Festival was to be held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, but will now be hosted online on October 22nd and 23rd at http://www.wvbookfestival.org.
“The health and safety of our guests, volunteers, presenters, and sponsors is our top priority, and due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Kanawha County, we felt it was prudent to cancel in-person activities this year,” said Sarah Mitchell, Co-Chair of the 2021 Book Festival. “Instead, Book Festival presentations will be streamed live online, so book lovers can still engage with our renowned literary guests.”
Authors scheduled to make an appearance at this year’s Book Festival include 2-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead; popular children’s author Jon Scieszka; author and singer Josh Malerman; bestselling author and West Virginia native Homer Hickam; Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and author, Eric Eyre; and West Virginia native and author, Denise Giardina. The Book Festival is coordinating with the authors on the logistics and timing of their live streaming presentations. Updated schedules and online details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Writing workshops and presentations will also be held virtually. Other scheduled events, including the annual Used Book Sale, the Festival Marketplace, and Word Play for Children, will not be held this year.
The WV Book Festival, first held in 2001, is one of Kanawha County’s most popular events and attracts thousands of book lovers each year. It is presented by the Kanawha County Public Library, The Library Foundation of Kanawha County, Inc., the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Other sponsors include West Virginia Public Broadcasting, The West Virginia Library Commission, The West Virginia Center for the Book, The H. B. Wehrle Foundation, The Marshall University Foundation, The Friends of The Library Foundation of Kanawha County, Inc., TC Energy, Greylock Energy, and Encova Insurance.
For further updates on the 2021 West Virginia Virtual Book Festival, please visit us at http://www.wvbookfestival.org.