The Savannah Book Festival is an annual world-class literary event bringing dozens of popular and critically acclaimed authors and thousands of readers together in historic Savannah, Georgia. It is free and open to the public.
Primary site for the Savannah Book Festival is Telfair Square and the stately buildings around it. The Festival features seven venues, each featuring six consecutive author presentations on Saturday, February 6, 2010 beginning at 10:00 am and ending at 5:00 pm.
Fiction in the sanctuary of Trinity Church
History & Biography in the Rotunda of the Telfair Academy
Contemporary Issues (Business, Economics, Science, Technology, Public & Foreign Affairs) in the Sculpture Gallery of the Telfair Academy
Lifestyle (Art, Architecture, Food, Humor, Travel, Leisure) in the Neises Auditorium of the Jepson Center for the Arts
Poetry in the Fellowship Hall of Trinity Church
Free Speech Tent, including storytelling, readings by local authors, spoken word presentations and poetry slams in Telfair Square
Authors
A majority of authors presenting at the Savannah Book Festival are represented by national/international publishers, but regional authors with national recognition are also included. Final decisions regarding authors are made by the Executive & Creative Director in consultation with the Board of Directors, based on recommendations by a volunteer author selection committee, the Advisory Board and staff.
Book sales
Ex Libris will provide book sales and host author book signings in a large tent just off Telfair Square. Titles from all of our authors will be available for purchase, as well as many other titles of interest to Festival attendees.
Mission
The Savannah Book Festival is an annual, free and open-to-the-public celebration of the written word and its role in improving the human experience. Our mission is to promote reading, writing and civil conversation.
Audience
Our primary audience is adult readers from the greater Savannah area, from nearby communities and cities along the southeast coast and visitors to Savannah who seek quality cultural experiences. Although our audience is varied in terms of age, race, ethnicity and opinions, they share a love of books.
Leadership
The Savannah Book Festival, Inc. is an independent non-profit corporation led by a volunteer Board of Directors, with input and support from an Advisory Board that includes diverse representatives from the community.
The Savannah Book Festival Board of Directors
Matt in 1953, displaying an early passion for reading.
Madison Parks Prickett, Executive & Creative Director
Matt Prickett, co-founder of Systems Techniques, Inc., and former chair of the Candler Alumni Council of Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and currently its representative on the Emory Alumni Board, now resides in Savannah, where he devotes his time to the Savannah Book Festival.
Lisa White, President
An Assistant District Counsel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Lisa White has been a leader in many historical organizations in Georgia, and she holds the distinction of being the first woman president of the Georgia Historical Society in its 150 year history. She currently serves as President of Georgia Women of Achievement, Inc.; Chairman of the Georgia Humanities Council; and Vice-Chairman of the Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails Commission. For her service to history and to the State, she received the Governor’s Award in the Humanities in 2002.
Frederic C. Beil
Since 1982 Frederic C. Beil has been publishing books in the fields of history, biography, and fiction.
Stephanie Duttenhaver, Vice President
Community volunteer Stephanie Duttenhaver has served on various community boards including The Savannah Community Foundation, Memorial Health Foundation and Coastal Georgia Soccer Association. Her expertise is in the development of strategic plans for nonprofits, which includes the integration of marketing, event planning, public relations and fundraising priorities.
Cynthia Edwards
Cindy Edwards graduated from the University in Georgia with a bachelor of arts in journalism. Prior to moving to Savannah in 1990, she worked as a publicist for the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta. She is on the board of trustees for the Telfair Museum of Art. She also serves of the boards of the March of Dimes, the Savannah Book Festival and Young Life Savannah. She has been involved with the Junior League of Savannah, the Savannah Country Day School and the Isle of Hope United Methodist Church.
Steve Green
A commercial real estate developer, banker and innkeeper, Steve Green is a graduate of the University of Georgia and chairman of Stephen S. Green Properties. He serves on various community boards, including the Special Events committee of the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Georgia Ports Authority.
Alloceia L. Hall, Secretary
Formerly with the Union Mission in Savannah, Alloceia Hall now serves as Admissions Director for the Bethesda Home for Boys. She is active in a number of community groups, including Young Professionals of Savannah, CASA and Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Charles J. Johnson Jr.
Charles Johnson has written, lectured and taught extensively on the law and on subjects relating to Georgia history. He published a biography of Mary Telfair in 2002. Mr. Johnson practiced law for thirty-two years in New York City and is a member of the advisory committees for the Owens-Thomas House and for the Women’s Studies major at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
Dr. Thomas A. Lyons, III
Recently retired after 30-year career as a neurosurgeon, Dr. Lyons is an avid book collector with an extensive collection of primarily twentieth century first editions of fiction and poetry. He is a member of the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics, the Walker Percy Society and the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society.
Monica McGoldrick
Savannah native Monica McGoldrick, a graduate of Leadership Savannah, has worked for 25 years in non-profit marketing and fundraising. For the last five years she has been a Realtor with Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty, and she also teaches English at several area universities. Her community service includes work for Hospice Savannah, Inc.; Savannah Development and Renewal Authority; Savannah Country Day Alumni Board; Louisa Porter Foundation; Blessed Sacrament Parish Council; St. Vincent’s Board of Trustees; Trinity College Alumni Board; and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America Board.
Jack Romanos
Romanos joined Simon & Schuster in 1985 as president, he later became COO, and in 2001 he was named CEO. During his tenure, S&S grew from slightly over $100 million in revenue to nearly $1 billion in 2007. He grew S&S from two primary publishing imprints to ten adult publishing units, a $420 million children’s publishing division, a $50 million audio book publishing division and over $100 million from subsidiaries in London, Toronto and Sydney. Prior to joining S&S, Romanos was the publisher of Bantam Books, where he transformed the company from paperback publishing to one which dominated in all formats. He is credited with creating the “mass market hardcover.” During his final years at S&S, Romanos positioned the company to enter the digital era of publishing, developing the strategies that the company relies on today.
Jeff Tucker, Treasurer
Jeff Tucker is a CPA and partner with the accounting firm Hirsch & Tucker, LLC. He has been practicing in Savannah for 20 plus years and specializes in business consulting and individual tax planning. He serves as a bank director for First Citizens Bank and is on the board of directors for Hope House of Savannah. Tucker is a retired Colonel form the Georgia Air National Guard.
J. Maria Waters
A prosecutor for the past 10 years, Maria Waters is currently an Assistant District Attorney for Chatham County. She has served with in numerous organizations, including Program Director for the Sister to Sister Program (Chatham County), State Bar of Georgia Investigative Panel, President of Port City Bar Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Funding
The Savannah Book Festival is presented by The Savannah Morning News. Other sources of funds include sponsorships, grants, donations and in-kind contributions. Expenses include travel, lodging, out-of-pocket expenses and honoraria for authors, promotion and publicity, equipment, security, venue rental, salaries, and insurance.
Collaborators
The following community entities endorse the Savannah Book Festival and have agreed to collaborate with us by providing resources: Armstrong Atlantic State University, Georgia Historical Society, Georgia Southern University, Live Oak Public Libraries, Savannah Convention & Visitors Bureau, Savannah Music Festival, Savannah State University, Senior Citizens, Inc. and Telfair Museum of Art.
Savannah Book Festival
Contact Information
Madison Parks Prickett, Executive & Creative Director
Savannah Book Festival
912-897-9600
mattprickett@savannahbookfestival.org
Katherine Oxnard, Assistant to the Director
3025 Bull Street, Room 249
Savannah, GA 31405
912-358-0575 office/fax
katherineoxnard@savannahbookfestival.org
www.savannahbookfestival.org
