The West Virginia Book Festival is an annual event for book lovers of all ages and now partnered with FestivALL! Featuring programs by local and international bestselling authors, a Used Book Sale, and a Festival Marketplace, it takes place at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center in downtown Charleston, West Virginia.

Programs:

Writing Workshops:

9 a.m. - 10 a.m: Phil Oakley

Little Hatchet: How to Write a Novel in 50 Short Years

Oakley will track the progress of his novel Little Hatchet from its inception in the spring of 1964, through it's rebirth in 1991, it's near miss with a major New York publisher in 1999, to its eventual publication in a very different form and under a different title as an Amazon book in 2014, and up to it's successful launch as a traditionally published novel before the Texas State Historical Association annual meeting on the Campus of Texas A&M University in College Station.

Location: Room 202-3

10 a.m. - 11 a.m: Victoria Crall

Jumpy Chunky Monkey and YOUR Very Best Day

Bring an item that's essential to your every best day. A book, a toy, a family member and so on. We will have a Storytime and activity sheets to draw/describe their best day!

Location: Wordplay Area

2 p.m. - 3 p.m: Andrea Pitzer

Finding an Agent and Writing a Nonfiction Book Proposal

Is there a story only you can tell? If you're writing nonfiction-from history to memoir-and you want to find a publisher, you'll need an agent and a book proposal. I'll discuss how to find an agent and outline what should be in your book proposal section by section, as well as addressing the key questions you'll need to be able to answer to define your story and convince a publisher to acquire
your book.

Location: Room 202-3

Presentations:

9 a.m. - 10 a. m: Clint Bowman

If Lost reading with Q&A, and the Importance of Poetry Community

Join Clint Bowman for a reading of his collection of poetry, If Lost forthcoming to publication by Loblolly Press September 5, 2024. Clint has for the past eight years has worked with free and accessible poetry groups throughout the state of North Carolina.

Location: Room 204-5

11 a.m. - Noon: Mark Hendricks & Erika Howsare

Appalachian Creatures: The Human-Wildlife Connection
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Two authors of the mid-Atlantic discuss their books dealing with the richness of the natural world in our region, and the relationship between humans, places, and wildlife here. Mark Hendricks’ book The Central Appalachians: Mountains of the Chesapeake is a photographic odyssey through the Appalachian highlands of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Erika Howsare’s book, The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors, examines the relationship between people and deer throughout history and in our modern moment. Mark and Erika will read briefly from their books and then discuss their creative processes, their own connections to the Appalachian world, and much more. Audience Q&A will follow.

Location: Room  202-3