Even though parts of the country are in a deep freeze, relief can be easily had by turning one's thoughts to the upcoming spring consumer book festivals. Headline and midlist authors alike, independent and regional publishers, and tens of thousands of readers all come together to celebrate reading, support literacy and benefit local library systems. The following 19 book festivals are among the many scheduled to take place from February through June 2007. Contact information for publishers wishing to participate is provided below. Check festival Web sites for complete author lists and more details on participants, activities and educational programs.

FEBRUARY

NATCHEZ LITERARY AND CINEMA CELEBRATION
Natchez, Miss., Feb. 22-25
www.colin.edu/nlcc (866) 296-6522

Eighteenth year. Authors: John T. Edge, John Egerton, Jessica B. Harris, Kenneth Holditch, Robert St. John. Activities: a theme-based lecture series (this year's theme is "Southern Accents: Language in the Deep South") enhanced by workshops, exhibits, book signings and discussions; award ceremonies honoring Beverly F. Lowry, Al Young and Charles Burnett.

SOUTH CAROLINA BOOK FESTIVAL AND ANTIQUARIAN BOOK FAIR
Columbia, S.C., Feb. 23-25
www.scbookfestival.org

(803) 771-2477
e-mail: bookfest@schumanities.org

Eleventh year. Authors: more than 70 authors, including Andrew Carroll, Andrew Carroll, Jack Bass, Cassandra Darden Bell, Barbara Bellows, Moira Crone, Nathalie Dupree, Nikki Giovanni, Kimberla Lawson Roby. Activities: keynote speaker Dorothea Benton Frank; Brunching with Authors.

MARCH

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL
Warren, Mo., March 4-6
http://library.cmsu.edu/childlit/clf

(660) 543-4306
e-mail: williamson@libserv.cmsu.edu

Thirty-ninth year. Authors: C.S. Adler, William T. Anderson, Vicki Grove, Jessie Haas, Alexandria LaFaye, Kirby Larson, Brenda Seabrooke, Gloria Skurzynski, Marie Smith, Roland Smith. Activities: luncheon with featured speaker Terry Trueman; informal conversation and autographing with authors and illustrators; showcase of books created by festival presenters; workshop with Jerry Pallotta on publishing.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA READING FESTIVAL (formerly LEE COUNTY READING FESTIVAL)
Ft. Myers, Fla., March 17
www.lee-county.com/library/ReadingFestivalHome.htm

(239) 479-4636
e-mail: kscholz@leegov.com

Eighth year. Authors: David Baldacci, Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Holly Black, Dixie Cash, Laura Esquivel, Michael Grunwald, Linda Lael Miller, Les Standiford, Doug Wilhelm. Activities: Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to Les Standiford; book signings; panel discussions; writing workshops; genealogy consultations; Authors' Alley; one free 'zine for every teen; one free book for every child.

VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK
Charlottesville, Va., March 21-25
www.vabook.org

(434) 924-6890
e-mail: vabook@virginia.edu

Thirteenth year. Authors: Andrew Carroll, Lee Child, Laura Dave, Tess Gerritsen, Ravi Howard, Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, Tom Jones, William M. Kelso, Laura Lippman, Aimee Liu, George Pelecanos, Jim Trelease. Activities: business breakfast with Michael Veeck; panel on "graphic nonfiction"; author's reception hosted by Lee Smith, Hal Crowther and Earl Hamner; luncheon with speaker Doug Marlette; Crime Wave luncheon with speaker Lee Child. Last year's attendance: 26,433.

BROWARD COUNTY LITERARY FEAST
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 23-24
(954) 357-5954

Eighteenth year. Authors: Ishmael Beah, Andrew Carroll, Susan Cheever, Jennifer Crusie, John Dickerson, Farrah Gray, Jeff Shaara, Adriana Trigiani, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. Activities: Novel Day for Students; Night of Literary Feasts; Lit Live! author appearances.

FAY B. KAIGLER INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL (formerly CHILDREN'S BOOK FESTIVAL)
Hattiesburg, Miss., Mar. 28-30
http://childrensbookfestival.org/index.htm

(601) 266-4228

e-mail: catharine.bomhold@usm.edu

Fortieth year. Authors: Eve Bunting, Scott Cook, Russell Freedman, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Leonard Marcus, Coleen Salley, Janet Stevens, Joyce Carol Thomas. Activities: Fay B. Kaigler Storytelling Celebration and 40th Anniversary Bash; author discussion panels; workshops for educators and librarians.

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS/NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL
New Orleans, La., March 28-April 1
www.tennesseewilliams.net

(504) 581-1144
e-mail: info@tennesseewilliams.net

Twenty-first year. Authors: Richard Ford, Haven Kimmel, Yusef Komunyakaa, Michael Lewis, Sharyn McCrumb, Calvin Trillin. Activities: guest appearance by John Waters, author of the introduction to Williams's memoir; staged readings and productions of Williams's work; master classes; celebrity interviews; theater and music events; food and wine tastings; a scholars' conference; literary and other French Quarter walking tours; a Stanley and Stella Shout-off.

APRIL

ARIZONA BOOK FESTIVAL
Phoenix, Ariz., April 14
www.azbookfestival.org

(602) 257-0335 x 28
e-mail: jbernstein@azhumanities.org

Ninth year. Authors: Melissa Clark, Lois Duncan, Laura Fitzgerald, Lee Gutkind, Cynthia Kadohata, Marsha Mehran, Richard Shelton, Charles Shields, Conrad J. Storad, Tom Wayman, Jane Yolen. Events: TBA. Expected attendance: 10,000.

ALABAMA BOUND FESTIVAL
Birmingham, Ala., April 14
www.alabamabound.org

(205) 226-3610
e-mail: lwilson@bham.lib.al.us

Ninth year. Authors: Hester Bass, Sylviane Diouf, Randall Horton, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Julia Oliver, Gregory Elvis Reece, John Sledge, Carolyn Quick Tillery, Ann Waldron. Activities: Book signings and readings celebrating Alabama authors and their publishers.

NORTHERN ARIZONA BOOK FESTIVAL
Flagstaff, Ariz., April 19-22
www.nazbookfestival.org

(928) 380-8682
e-mail: rbyrkit@nazbookfestival.org

Tenth year. Authors: Jeff Biggers, Billy Collins, Ann Cummins, Marilyn Hacker, Daniel Handler, Oscar Hijuelos, Geri Keams, Leora Skolkin-Smith. Activities: new Young Authors' Book Festival and Express Yerself! programs; writing workshops with Don Fanning and Chaparral Fireland; Ghazalpalooza featuring Marilyn Hacker.

SOUTHERN KENTUCKY BOOK FEST
Bowling Green, Ky., April 20-21
www.sokybookfest.org

(270) 745-5016
e-mail: jayne.pelaski@wku.edu

Ninth year. Authors: More than 150, including Tedd Arnold, Rick Bragg, Floyd Cooper, Cassandra King, Janette Oke, Ann B. Ross, Alex Simmons, Brad Strickland, Scott Turow. Activities: book signings; announcement of winner of Kentucky Literary Awards; speaking presentations; make and do activities; costumed characters; dramatic and musical performances.

ARKANSAS LITERARY FESTIVAL
Little Rock, Ark., April 20-22
www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org/main.html

(501) 663-4321
e-mail: festival@arkansasliteracy.org

Authors: Faith Anaya, Cheryl Barnes, Conger Beasley, Christy Brawner, Tom Franklin, Nikki Giovanni, Grace Howell, Elizabeth Jacoway, Kareem Moody, Ron Rash, Charles Shields, Milton Viorst. Activities: book appraisals by NPR's "The Book Guys"; Celebrate Literacy Month award ceremony honoring adult students; author party; children's breakfast; "Roland on the River" featuring White House Executive Chef Roland Mesnier; Pub or Perish open-mike readings by festival authors and local writers.

BORDER BOOK FESTIVAL
Mesilla, N.Mex., April 20-22
www.borderbookfestival.org

(505) 524-1499
e-mail: bbf@zianet.com

Thirteenth year. Authors: Malín Alegria, Sherwin Bistui, Monica Brown, Selfa Chew, Reyna Grande, René Colato Laínez, Osvaldo Ogaz, David Dorado Romo. Activities: Children's and Pet parade; Poets Against War reading; a Premio Fronterizo Gala featuring Sandra Cisneros and Martin Espada, with Premio Fronterizo award presented to Espada; the Tent of Wonders storytelling tent; Música de La Gente festival finale.

CHILDREN'S BOOKFEST
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 28
www.browardlibrary.org/web/bookfest/index.htm

(954) 357-7406

Authors: Laura Duksta, Aida E. Marcuse, Jose-Luis Orozco, Patricia Engel Secco, Toni Simmons. Activities: a week-long celebration of Children's Day/Book Day, presented in English and nine other languages; conference on children's literature; grand finale featuring Moonlight Tales and free Family Storytelling Under the Stars.

LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS
Los Angeles, Calif., April 28-29
www.latimes.com/festivalofbooks

(800) LATIMES, ext. 7BOOK

Twelfth year. Authors: TBA. Activities: author/panel discussions, many featuring Times editorial staff; children's programming; poetry readings; cooking demonstrations; music; the 27th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Expected attendance: 130,000.

MAY

BOOKS IN BLOOM
Eureka Springs, Ark., May 6
www.booksinbloom.org

(870) 423-5300
e-mail: elderwind@carrollmadisonpubliclibraries.org

Third year. Authors: Pat Carr, Laura Parker Castoro, Andrei Codrescu, Catherine Coulter, Jeffery Deaver, Dana Stabenow. Activities: Author talks, readings and signings, children's activities, book sales, homemade refreshments. Expected attendance: 1,000.

ANN ARBOR BOOK FESTIVAL
Ann Arbor, Mich., May 17-20
www.aabookfestival.org

(734) 662-7407
e-mail: aabf@aabookfestival.org

Fourth year. Authors: Stacey Duford, others TBA. Activities: literacy symposium; author reception; writer's conference; authors and book signings; panel discussions; children's activities; music; workshops.

JUNE

CHICAGO TRIBUNE PRINTERS ROW BOOK FAIR
Chicago, Ill., June 9-10
www.printersrowbookfair.org

(312) 527-8280
e-mail: bookfair@tribune.com

Twenty-third year. Authors: TBA. Activities: more than 100 programs including author readings, panel discussions, cooking demonstrations and children's activities; new, used and antiquarian booksellers. Last year's attendance: 100,000.