They’re he-eeere! Once again, tens of thousands of readers, authors and their publishers will converge on the various annual consumer book festivals throughout the country, with reading, literacy and local library systems reaping the benefits. The following 22 book festivals are among the many scheduled to take place from February all the way through July 2008. 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. 20-24
www.colin.edu/nlcc
(866) 296-6522

Nineteenth year. Authors: Lerone Bennett, Jr., Leah Chase, Brooks Haxton, Paul Oliver, Alfred Uhry, Julia Wright (daughter of Richard Wright). Activities: a theme-based lecture series (this year's theme is “Richard Wright, the South, and the World: A Centennial Celebration”) enhanced by workshops, exhibits, book signings and discussions; award ceremonies honoring Lerone Bennett, Jr., Brooks Haxton, and Alfred Uhry.

SOUTH CAROLINA BOOK FESTIVAL AND ANTIQUARIAN BOOK FAIR

Columbia, S.C., Feb. 22-24
www.scbookfestival.org
(803) 771-2477
e-mail: bookfest@schumanities.org

Twelfth year. Authors: more than 80, including Tina McElroy Ansa, Harlan Coben, Kwame Dawes, Dinah Johnson, Cassandra King, Mary Alice Monroe, Jeff VanderMeer, Lynn Floyd Wright. Activities: keynote speaker Kevin O’Keefe; first-ever children’s event with USC mascot Cocky; Brunching with Authors; new Book Club Morning Toast; six masterclasses with poets, authors, agents and editors from major publishing houses; arts and crafts program for pre-schoolers.

MARCH

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Warrensburg, Mo., March 9-11
http://library.ucmo.edu/childlit/clf
(660) 543-4306
e-mail: williamson@libserv.ucmo.edu

Fortieth year. Authors: C. S. Adler, Gary Blackwood, Patricia Calvert, Joan Carris, David Harrison, Patricia Hermes, Ard Hoyt, Dean Hughes, Claudia Mills, Dorinda Nicholson, Carolyn Reeder, Teri Sloat, Vivian Vande Velde, June Rae Wood. Activities: 40th anniversary luncheon with David Harrison, Sandy Asher, Patricia Calvert, C. S. Adler, and Dean Hughes.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA READING FESTIVAL

Ft. Myers, Fla., March 15
www.lee-county.com/library/ReadingFestivalHome.htm
(239) 479-4636
e-mail: kscholz@leegov.com

Ninth year. Authors: Melissa de la Cruz, Angelo Dundee, Jared Hodges & Lindsay Cibos, Carla Neggers, Wendy Corsi Staub (aka Wendy Markham), Susan Vreeland. Activities: Lunchtime Meet & Greet with Bob Morris; A Night at the Museum with James O. Born; writing workshop with Prudy Taylor Board; book signings; panel discussions; writing workshops; one free 'zine for every teen; one free book for every child.

BROWARD COUNTY LITERARY FEAST

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 23-24
(954) 357-5954

Nineteenth year. Authors: Tasha Alexander, Gigi Anders, Jeffrey Archer, James Brady, Cecil Hayes, Stephen Hunter, Chip Kidd, Jennifer Valoppi. Activities: Novel Day for Students; Night of Literary Feasts; Lit Live! author appearances.

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS/NEW ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL

New Orleans, La., March 26-30
www.tennesseewilliams.net
(504) 581-1144
e-mail: info@tennesseewilliams.net

Twenty-second year. Authors: Hal Crowther, Dan Menaker, Lee Smith and more. Activities: 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; Tea with Tennesse; a Stanley and Stella Shout-off.

VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK

Charlottesville, Va., March 26-30
www.vabook.org
(434) 924-6890
e-mail: vabook@virginia.edu

Fourteenth year. Authors: Taylor Antrim, Jill A. Davis, Homer Hickam, Adriana Trigiani, Jacqueline Winspear, Martha Woodroof. Activities: Walter Mosley will headline a benefit; Mike Farrell will appear in another headline event; Business Breakfast with Eric Abrahamson; authors reception; fifth annual Links Celebration Brunch honoring the African-American literary tradition; high tea with Jan Karon; Crime Wave Mystery Luncheon with David Ignatius.

APRIL

FAY B. KAIGLER INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

Hattiesburg, Miss., April 2-4
http://childrensbookfestival.org/index.htm
(601) 266-4228
e-mail: catharine.bomhold@usm.edu

Forty-first year. Authors: Vicki Cobb, Gerald Hausman, Kimberly Willis Holt, Loris Lesynski, Pat Mora, James Ransome, Will Weaver. Activities: luncheon with Barbara Immroth; author discussion panels; workshops for educators and librarians.

ARKANSAS LITERARY FESTIVAL

Little Rock, Ark., April 4-6
www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org/main.html
(501) 663-4321
e-mail: festival@arkansasliteracy.org

Seventh year. Authors: Tina McElroy Ansa, Ace Atkins, Kevin Brockmeier, Greg Brownderville, Jill Connor Browne, Carolyn Hart, Cecil Murphey, Sara Roahen, Susan Spicer, Rebecca Woolf. Activities: book appraisals by NPR's "The Book Guys"; author party; children's breakfast; "celebrity chef events; Pub or Perish open-mike readings by festival authors and local writers.

ALABAMA BOUND FESTIVAL

Birmingham, Ala., April 12
www.alabamabound.org
(205) 226-3610
e-mail: lwilson@bham.lib.al.us

Tenth year. Authors: TBA. Activities: a day-long series of programs celebrating Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, featuring an appearance by Mary Badham, “Scout” from the 1962 film; preview of the documentary Our Mockingbird; music from the 1930s.

BORDER BOOK FESTIVAL

Mesilla, N. Mex., April 18-20
www.borderbookfestival.org
(505) 524-1499
e-mail: bbf@zianet.com

Fourteenth year. Authors: Perla Batalla, Amy Costales, Alex Espinosa, Cristina García, Xavier Garza, Adalucía Quan, Quincy Troupe, Don Usner. Activities: panels; workshops; al fresco readings and music; a children’s storytelling tent; the 3rd annual Children’s Book and Pet Parade.

SOUTHERN KENTUCKY BOOK FEST

Bowling Green, Ky., April 19
www.sokybookfest.org
(270) 745-5016
e-mail: jayne.pelaski@wku.edu

Tenth year. Authors: Mitch Albom, Marc Brown, Harlan Coben, Kathleen Ernst, Gwynne Forster, Con Lehane, Vickie Stringer, Lizabeth Zindel. Activities: TBA.

NORTHERN ARIZONA BOOK FESTIVAL

Flagstaff, Ariz., April 25-26
www.nazbookfest.com
(928) 380-8682
e-mail: rbyrkit@nazbookfestival.org

Eleventh year. Authors: Sean Carswell, Lois Roma-Deeley, Jill Divine, Greg Pape, Tim Seibles, Miles Waggener. Activities: TBA.

LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS

Los Angeles, Calif., April 26-27
www.latimes.com/festivalofbooks
(800) LATIMES, ext. 7BOOK

Thirteenth year. Authors: more than 450, TBA. Activities: author/panel discussions; children's programming; poetry readings; cooking demonstrations; music; the 28th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes with master of ceremonies Gay Talese. Expected attendance: 140,000.

CHILDREN'S BOOKFEST

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 28
www.browardlibrary.org/web/bookfest/index.htm
(954) 357-7406

Second year. Authors/performers: Diane Ferlatte, Ella Jenkins, Jaime Riascos, Antonio Sacre, Dovie Thomason. Activities: quality children's performances; free arts and crafts; special storybook character appearances; free face painting; free books to the first 600 children; costumed character Geddy the Gecko; Puppets to Go; Moonlight Tales: Storytelling Under the Stars.

MAY

BOOKS IN BLOOM

Eureka Springs, Ark., May 4
www.booksinbloom.org
(870) 423-5300
e-mail: elderwind@carrollmadisonpubliclibraries.org

Fourth year. Authors: TBA. Activities: author talks, readings and signings, children's activities, book sales, homemade refreshments.

ANN ARBOR BOOK FESTIVAL

Ann Arbor, Mich., May 15-18
www.aabookfestival.org
(734) 662-7407
e-mail: aabf@aabookfestival.org

Fifth year. Authors: TBA. Activities: literacy symposium; author reception; writer's conference; book signings; panel discussions; children's activities; music; workshops.

JUNE

CHICAGO TRIBUNE PRINTERS ROW BOOK FAIR

Chicago, Ill., June 7-8
www.printersrowbookfair.org
(312) 527-8280
e-mail: bookfair@tribune.com

Twenty-fourth year. Authors: TBA. Activities: more than 100 programs including author readings; panel discussions; cooking demonstrations; Chicago Tribune Children’s Alley; new, used and antiquarian booksellers. Last year's attendance: 100,000.

NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL

New York, N.Y., June 27-28
www.newyorkbookfestival.com
(323) 665-8080
email: NewYorkBookFest@aol.com

Second year. Authors: Michelle Ferguson-Cohen, Nina Malkin, Riley Weston. Activities: book signings; vendors; panel discussions; face-painting; clowns; balloon animals; live music stage; food. Expected attendance: 25,000.

JULY

HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL

Hollywood, Calif., July 11-12
http://www.hollywoodbookfestival.com
(323) 665-8080
email: HollywoodBkFest@aol.com

Third year. Authors: Will Clarke, Michele Dominguez Greene, Jerry Heller, Adam Parfrey. Activities: book signings; vendors; panel discussions; face-painting; clowns; balloon animals; live music stage; food. Expected attendance: 50,000.

AUTHOR! AUTHOR! SHREVEPORT'S CELEBRATION OF THE WRITTEN WORD

Shreveport, La., July 18-19
www.authorauthorshreveport.com
e-mail: llaird@authorauthorshreveport.com

First year. Authors: Jennifer Baumgardner, Danny Brown, Toni McGee Causey, Shelia Goss, Carolyn Jourdan, Deborah LeBlanc, Carmen Lee, Jewel P. Rhodes, Amy Richards. Activities: separate children's area with special activities and a brown bag fairy lunch; author panels; keynote speakers; author meet & greet for autographs; fais do-do (Cajun literary ball).

HARLEM BOOK FAIR

New York, N.Y., July 19
http://www.qbr.com
(212) 348-1681
email: hbf@qbr.com

Tenth year. Authors: TBA: Activities: panel discussions; outdoor stage; Young Reader's Pavilion; Wheatley Book Awards; BBQ Jazz & Author Lunch; Author Brunch; The HBF Antique Books Roadshow.