FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Savannah Book Festival scores again!  James Patterson is the keynote speaker for the 6^th annual Savannah Book Festival taking place February 14 -17, 2013.  The four-day Festival, over Presidents Day Weekend, takes place in historic downtown Savannah.  Tickets for best-selling mystery phenomenon James Patterson will be available on November 16, 2012 through the SCAD Box Office. The main Festival events remain free and open to the public.  Book lovers will once again be immersed in a time and place where it’s easy to “Lose Yourself in Books.”

James Patterson’s Keynote Address will launch the Festival on Friday evening, February 15, 2013.  Hailed by the New York Times as having “transformed book publishing,” Patterson is expected to draw a large audience.  To accommodate the anticipated response, the event will take place at the Trustees Theater.

James Patterson’s books have sold more than 260 million copies worldwide since his first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, won the Edgar Award in 1977.  His Alex Cross series, including Kiss The Girls and Along Came a Spider, is the most popular detective series of the past 25 years.

“The 2012 Festival is a hard act to follow,” said Executive Director Robin Gold, “however, we are confident that we will once again offer a stunning line-up of authors who will entice and invite each attendee to ‘Lose Yourself in Books.’  We are thrilled that James Patterson has committed to give our Keynote Address in 2013.”

The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent, non-profit corporation led by a volunteer board of directors.  It is committed to remaining free and open to the public and to celebrating the written word and its role in improving the human experience.  For more information, please contact Executive Director Robin Gold at (912) 598-4040 or info@savannahbookfestival.org. Or visit our website at http://www.savannahbookfestival.org/, our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110788820480 and follow us on Twitter at @SavBookFestival.

Reminiscing & Looking Ahead

“I can’t stop thinking about the 2012 Festival and all the incredible authors that entertained us,” said SBF Board President Stephanie Duttenhaver. “How can we top this lineup next year? The Board is already working hard on new plans to entice world class authors to the next Savannah Book Festival which will be held during President’s Day Weekend in 2013.”

Festival Executive Director Robin Gold added, “Judging by the crowds and the interest in the Festival, Savannahians have indicated that they love books! The SBF will continue on its mission to present authors who are so thoroughly enjoyed by our students, residents and visitors.

By all means, let us know who you would like to see and what additional genres we might offer. For example, one Book Festival fan wrote to the Savannah Morning News Vox Populi column, “I wish Pamela Druckerman, who has written the wonderful child rearing book Bringing Up Bebe; One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting could be at our Festival.” We welcome your input at info@savannahbookfestival.org. (As in past years, authors for the 2013 Festival are required to have published a new book during the previous 12 months.)

An Appreciative Salute to Festival Volunteers

Over 150 volunteers fueled the logistics required to run this year’s 5-day Festival. At the helm of volunteer coordinating were Anne Gardner, Ann Higbee and Catherine Ruhl. Ann Higbee said, “In total…we enjoyed enthusiastic and efficient support from many returning volunteers and lots of first-timers. We were thrilled with the willing and generous attention the volunteers brought to each assignment.”

Appreciation is also extended to the expert volunteer photographers who captured magic moments during our most successful Festival yet. Photos will be posted on our website at a future date.

New Frontiers

The 5th annual Festival really maximized SBF’s social media profile. With a lot of help from our friends, the networking has been awesome and we want to continue this momentum. Follow us on Twitter, “like” our new page on Facebook and follow our Festival blog on Tumbr. In addition, SBF is no stranger to FourSquare and Instagram. We may lose ourselves in books, but we also search out and tease the latest technology to spread the word.

Our website is better than ever and covers many bases, including frequently asked questions. It’s a great place to visit, but below are two questions worth addressing here.

• Why is there a large reserved section at some venues?
  All of the main day Saturday events are free and open to the public, as is the Friday night keynote address. Festival costs including venues, tents, printing, author transportation and lodging are underwritten by the generous donations of individuals, corporations and the arts and literary funds in our community—all of whom are responsible for making the event possible. Reserved seats are a courtesy in appreciation for this generosity.
• What is the Literati?
  Members of the Literati (Friend of the Festival) enjoy special author events and receive advance notice and reduced rates for ticketed Festival events. Our Literati receive benefits such as exclusive invitations to SBF events featuring nationally renowned authors throughout the year; access to our author hospitality suite on Telfair Square on Festival day; and special access to the organizers of the Festival and advance information regarding all of our events. Please stay tuned for upcoming information on new Literati membership levels and benefits for the 2013 Festival.

The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent, non-profit corporation led by a volunteer board of directors. It is committed to remaining free and open to the public and to celebrating the written word. For more information, please contact Executive Director Robin Gold at (912) 598 4040, info@savannahbookfestival.org or visit www.savannahbookfestival.org.

Caleb’s Crossing, published in 2011, was inspired by the life of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665. Brooks began her research while at Harvard as a Radcliffe Fellow in 2006. The publication of Caleb’s Crossing coincided with the May 2011 graduation of Tiffany Smalley, the first Martha’s Vineyard Wampanoag Indian since Caleb to earn an undergraduate degree from the Ivy League university.

“The Savannah Book Festival is delighted to welcome an author as celebrated as Geraldine Brooks on the heels of our most successful book festival ever,” said Stephanie Duttenhaver, president of the SBF’s board of directors. “Her presence affirms the book festival’s commitment to fostering Savannah’s burgeoning literary community.”

Born in Australia, Brooks distinguished herself as an award-winning journalist before penning her first novel, Years of Wonder. Brooks’ oeuvre also includes the novel People of the Book and the nonfiction works, Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence.

To reserve a seat for the Geraldine Brooks luncheon, tickets are $35 each to include lunch and a welcome glass of wine: they are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets can be purchased online or by sending a check made payable to Savannah Book Festival and mailed to One Diamond Causeway, Suite 21, Box 331, Savannah, Ga., 31406. Please note Geraldine Brooks Luncheon on the memo area of the check. If you are paying by check, you will receive confirmation upon receipt of payment. Reservations must be made by close of business, April 25.

The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent, nonprofit organization led by a volunteer board of directors. For more information, please contact Executive Director Robin Gold at (912) 598-4040 or info@savannahbookfestival.org. To learn more, visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter at @SavBookFestival.

Brooks is the bestselling fiction author of Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book, March—which won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, Years of Wonder and the non-fiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence.

After the author’s May 3 talk focusing on Caleb’s Crossing published in 2011, there will be a brief Q&A period followed by the sale of Geraldine Brooks’ books and as well as time for author signing. Literati cards from the 2011 Festival will be honored.

This recent book is inspired by the life of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665. Geraldine Brooks began her research while at Harvard as a Radcliffe Fellow in 2006 and the publication of Caleb’s Crossing coincided with important events at Harvard. In May 2011, Tiffany Smalley was the first Martha’s Vineyard Wampanoag Indian since Caleb to earn an undergraduate degree.

“The Savannah Book Festival is delighted to welcome an author as celebrated as Geraldine Brooks on the heels of our most successful book festival ever,” said Stephanie Duttenhaver, president of the SBF’s board of directors. “Her presence affirms the Festival’s commitment to fostering Savannah’s burgeoning literary community.”

Praise for Caleb’s Crossing:

Splendid…Brooks brings the 1600’s to life with evocative period detail, intriguing characters and a compelling story.
Publishers Weekly

Brooks has an uncanny ability to reconstruct each moment of the history she so thoroughly researched in stunningly lyrical prose, and her characters are to be cherished.
Booklist

From Penguin Group—Ms. Brooks’ publisher:

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Geraldine Brooks has won acclaim for her ability to take a shard of little-known history and bring it vividly to life. In Caleb’s Crossing she once again takes a few arresting facts and weaves from them a tale of love and faith, magic and adventure.

Born and raised in Australia, Geraldine Brooks lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband, author Tony Horwitz, and their two sons.

The Savannah Book Festival is proud to bring Geraldine Brooks, a Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author to Savannah. We sincerely thank the over 8,000 visitors who enthusiastically supported the Fifth Annual Savannah Book Festival held February 15 – 19 and we are now delighted to welcome Brooks as a grand post-event finale to this year’s Festival.

Reservations for Geraldine Brooks are open to the public, but seating is limited. Reservations at $35 are accepted on a first-come first-served basis. Payment must be made at the time of reservation by sending a check made payable to: Savannah Book Festival and mailed to One Diamond Causeway, Suite 21, and Box 331 Savannah, GA 31406. Please note Geraldine Brooks Luncheon on the memo area of the check. If you are paying by check, you will receive confirmation upon receipt of payment. If you would prefer an email confirmation, please send your email address in with the check.

Reservations and payments may also be made and paid for online at SavannahBookFestival.org. Reservations are non-refundable, but are transferrable.

Non-Landings residents with reservations will be issued a pass for the event upon arrival at the main gate.

Reservations must be made by the close of business on Wednesday, April 25th.

Luncheon Menu

A welcome glass of red or white wine served with compliments of the Landings Club upon arrival in the Plantation Club Ballroom.

Village Chicken Salad: Grilled marinated breast of chicken served over a blend of baby lettuce with herb cheese crumble, sweet Italian peppers and artichoke hearts served with balsamic vinaigrette.

Dessert: Raspberry and Lemon sorbet with fresh berries served in a martini glass with whipped cream.

Includes homemade dinner rolls and butter
Coffee and Tea Service
Cash or member bar

$35.00 per person includes tax and gratuity

Stay in Touch!

In the afterglow of February’s Book Festival, we continue to relish being Blogged, Tweeted and Facebooked. The response to 40 plus stimulating authors has been enormous. These writers who visited Savannah transported thousands of Festival book lovers around the world and into different centuries while touching all emotional levels—making us laugh, bringing us to tears—teaching us, thrilling us and helping us to grow.

On May 3, we have the opportunity to spend time on Martha’s Vineyard with Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, Bethia Mayfield and Geraldine Brooks. We will also learn how to pronounce Cheeshahteaumauk.

The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent, non-profit corporation led by a volunteer board of directors. It is committed to remaining free and open to the public and to celebrating the written word. For more information, please contact Executive Director Robin Gold at (912) 598 4040, info@savannahbookfestival.org or visit www.savannahbookfestival.org.