Fantasy, mystery, historical fiction and other genres will take center stage Saturday at Eastridge Center when more than 100 authors, indie publishers and literary groups gather for the inaugural San Jose Book Festival.<\/p>\n
Book lovers and writers of all ages are invited to attended the family-friendly event, sponsored by the San Jose Public Library, BookSmart and the office of San Jose City Councilman Domingo Candelas. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aim to connect local readers to local authors,\u201d said organizer Linda Ulleseit, an author herself, who got the idea from successful events in other cities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a vendor at the Sacramento Book Festival for the past two years, and it was very well attended with great energy,\u201d she said. \u201cNothing like this has ever happened in the South Bay, and I know San Jose can support a festival like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
About 100 authors, mostly from the Bay Area, will be in attendance to meet and chat with fans \u2014 and soon-to-be fans \u2014 and sign and sell books.<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s keynote speaker will be Karen Joy Fowler, who is the author of seven novels, including the bestseller \u201cThe Jane Austen Book Club,\u201d \u201cWe Are All Completely Beside Ourselves\u201d and \u201cBooth.\u201d She will deliver her talk at 11 a.m. at the mall\u2019s center court.<\/p>\n
Panel discussions are scheduled throughout the day on such topics as \u201cHow to Turn Ideas into Books,\u201d \u201cWhy Fantasy Resonates at Every Age\u201d and \u201cUnconventional, Brazen and Morally Gray Characters: Why We Love to Write and Read Them.\u201d The 50-minute sessions will be held at BookSmart on the second level.<\/p>\n
Storytime and photos with Pete the Cat are scheduled for noon and 3 p.m., and sword-fighting demonstrations are set for 1 and 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
Among the organizations participating will be the Mystery Writers of America NorCal Chapter, Northern California Sisters in Crime, Paper Lantern Writers, Poetry Center San Jose, Bay Area Queer Writers Association, South Bay Writers, Small Publishing in a Big Universe and Writers Grotto.<\/p>\n