Gaithersburg Book Festival to Feature Interactive Panel Discussions, Conversations with Award-Winning Authors

If you thought the Gaithersburg Book Festival (GBF) featured only solo presentations by best-selling and award-winning authors, you would be missing out on some entertaining and thought-provoking panel discussions and interactive conversations between authors and the leading critics and journalists who cover them.

On May 19, 2012, the GBF has on its schedule five special programs designed to stimulate conversation about writing and the written word:

• Stewart O’Nan in Conversation with Ron Charles – Returning for the second year is Ron Charles, well-known critic and fiction editor for The Washington Post. This year Charles is joined in conversation with the prolific and award-winning author Stewart O’Nan, whose most recent novel is “The Odds: A Love Story.” O’Nan’s award-winning fiction includes “Snow Angels,” “A Prayer for the Dying,” “Last Night at the Lobster” and “Emily, Alone;” and his non-fiction works include “Faithful” (with Stephen King), “My New Orleans” and “The Circus Fire.” Part C-SPAN’s “BookNotes,” part Bravo’s “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” this GBF fan-favorite program consists of a one-on-one conversation between O’Nan and Charles, during which they will have an in-depth discussion about O’Nan’s new novel, his writing process and his influences. The program concludes with an interactive question and answer session with the audience.
• The Future of the Book and Bookstore – What does the future hold for the world of the book and bookstore? Find out during this intriguing panel discussion, which brings together a bookstore owner, a literary agent, a book publisher and a journalist to share their unique perspectives on the current condition of the book industry and offer their visions for the future. Moderated by Jim Milliot, editorial director of Publishers Weekly, this panel features Sam Dorrance, publisher, director of marketing and subsidiary rights at Dulles, Va.-based Potomac Books Inc.; Lissa Muscatine, co-owner of Politics & Prose Bookstore and Raphael “Rafe” Sagalyn, who runs the Bethesda, Md.-based Sagalyn Literary Agency. This frank conversation will lift the veil from issues often only explored behind the scenes. Regardless of your knowledge of the industry, this panel is designed to enlighten listeners about the business end of the literary world they enjoy.
• Chris Pavone in Conversation with Ian Shapira – Chris Pavone, author of the acclaimed debut novel and New York Times best-seller “The Expats,” and The Washington Post journalist Ian Shapira are both making their first appearances at this year’s book festival. Together on stage for the first time, they will discuss Pavone’s new book, the writer’s lifestyle and what it is like when your debut book is the hot new novel. This is a great opportunity to meet an up-and-coming novelist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist as they explore the lives of spies and the mysteries of the world of espionage, and discuss the new book that everyone is talking about.
• Anthology of Women Writers Panel Presentation – Richard Peabody, author and founding editor of Gargoyle magazine, presents his new book, “Amazing Graces: Yet Another Collection of Fiction by Washington Women,” featuring stories and novel excerpts by 45 Washington-area female writers. This is the fifth volume in the series, edited by Peabody, which features original work from 206 local authors. The panel includes brief readings and Q&A with five of the book’s contributors.
• Separating Fact from Fiction – This panel, moderated by Herta Feely, is based on Feely’s recent book, “Confessions: Fact or Fiction?” – a collection of 22 short stories and memoirs written by award-winning authors from around the country. The panel engages a number of local authors who will read from their stories and participate in a group discussion about writing fiction and non-fiction. The panel also involves the audience in trying to figure out if select stories are true or “made up.”

For more information on featured programming, the schedule of author presentations and other details about the 2012 Gaithersburg Book Festival, please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.

About the Gaithersburg Book Festival

The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers, and literary excellence. Now in its third year, the Festival has become one of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 19, 2012, on the grounds of Gaithersburg City Hall, with shuttle buses running from Lakeforest Mall.  Activities include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; a Coffee House with poets and singers/songwriters; onsite book sales, both new and used; exhibitors and, of course, food, drink, ice cream and more. Admission is free. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.