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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.
The first annual Savannah Book Festival, presented by the Savannah Morning News, will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2008 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. in downtown Savannah. It is free and open to the public.
Primary sites for the Savannah Book Festival are Telfair Square and Franklin Square and the stately buildings surrounding them. The Festival features five venues, each featuring six consecutive author presentations:
Click here for a map of the Festival venues and events
History & Biography at Telfair Museum
Fiction at Trinity Church
Poetry & Songwriting in Telfair Square
Contemporary Issues at First African Baptist Church
(Business, Economics, Science, Technology, Public & Foreign Affairs)
Lifestyle at Jepson Center for the Arts
(Art, Architecture, Food, Travel, Leisure)
Authors. Each of our 30-plus authors will discuss with audiences their lives in letters, their areas of expertise and their body of work. Authors will take audience questions following their presentations and most will be available to autograph books. For an up-to-date listing of participating authors, click on the Authors link.
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. The Follett Group will provide book sales at a several locations within the Festival. 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 will come from the greater Savannah area, from nearby communities and cities along the southeast coast. 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.
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Madison Parks Prickett
Executive & Creative Director
Matt Prickett, co-founder of Systems Techniques, Inc., and chair of the Candler Alumni Council of Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, now resides in Savannah and devotes his time to the Savannah Book Festival.
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Lisa White, President
An active member of many historical organizations, Lisa White was the first woman president of the Georgia Historical Society in its 150-year history. She is also the current Vice-Chairman of the Georgia National Register Review Board and Treasurer of the Georgia Humanities Council. For her service to history and to the State of Georgia, she received the Governor’s Award in the Humanities in 2002. Mrs. White serves as Assistant District Counsel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District.
Elizabeth M. Oxnard, Treasurer
A former banker, Elizabeth Oxnard volunteers her time to many civic organizations including the Savannah Country Day School, the Lucas Theatre and Hospice Savannah. She served three terms as President of the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America.
Frederic C. Beil
A former editor at Charles Scribner's Sons, Frederic Beil founded Frederic C. Beil, Publisher, in 1982 as an independent publishing house, which is now located in Savannah, Georgia, and publishes general trade books in the fields of history, biography, and literary fiction.
Martha Kane Brown
Former chair of the English department at Hawken School in Cleveland, Martha Kane Brown pursued postgraduate work at Cambridge University and the University of North Wales. She has extensive community board experience and writes book reviews for The Landings magazine.
David H. Dickey
A native of Savannah, David Dickey is a partner in the Savannah law firm Oliver, Maner & Gray. He has served on numerous community boards and lectures frequently on historical topics such as the War Between the States, the American Revolution and the Wars for Scottish Independence.
Alloceia L. Hall
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.
John C. Helmken, II
President and Chief Executive Officer of The Savannah Bancorp, Inc., John Helmken serves on the boards of many banking and community boards, including the endowment boards of the Telfair Museum of Art and the Georgia Historical Society. He has also served on the board of the Savannah Music Festival.
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.
Kaye Kole
Kaye Kole has used her skills as a certified genealogist to assist a number of historical organizations, including the American Jewish Historical Society and the Georgia Historical Society, where she served as curator for six years. She received a special award in 2003 for establishing the Savannah Jewish Archives and has published several books on genealogy.
Linda McWhorter
Linda is a long time resident of Savannah and community volunteer. She edited Frederick Carl Frieseke: The Evolution of an American Impressionist. She is the recipient of the Girl Scout Council’s Community Service Award and is a regular lecturer at Senior Citizens, Inc.’s Learning Center.
J. Maria Waters
A graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Maria Waters is an Assistant District Attorney for Chatham County.
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.
Swann Seiler
Manager of Community Relations and Communications for the Georgia Power Company’s coastal region, Swann Seiler is president of the University of Georgia Alumni Association and served as campaign chair for the United Way of the Coastal Empire, helping raise more than $5.8 million. She has served on many community and professional boards.
Michael W. Skinner
A partner in the firm of Skinner, Barndollar & Lane, P.C., Michael Skinner is active in the revitalization of downtown Savannah and is on numerous professional and civic boards and committees, including the Telfair Museum of Art.
Author Advisory Board
Tina McElroy Ansa, John Berendt, Bruce Feiler, Terry Kay
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.
Fundraising Events. During the Festival weekend, three fundraising events will be held. A keynote address at the Lucas Theatre on the Friday night before the Festival will feature author Terry Kay. A reception will follow. Festival authors will be guests at both Friday night events. The Sunday following the Festival will feature a civil debate on a contemporary or historical issue. Additional events will be held prior to the Festival to generate funds and to stimulate interest.
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.
Contact Information
Madison Parks Prickett, Executive & Creative Director
Savannah Book Festival
912-897-9600
mattprickett@savannahbookfestival.org
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