Have Page-Turning Fun at the Bay Area Book Festival

Have Page-Turning Fun at the Bay Area Book Festival

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HITCHNER

As many as 250 authors from the Bay and beyond will be in attendance, including poet and playwright Ishmael Reed, author Joyce Carol Oates, journalist Adam Hochschild, historian David Blight, and political commentator Robert Reich, for interviews, panels, and talks.

Calling all bookworms, the Bay Area Book Fest has the fix you need. Whatever your page-turning obsession might be, from sci-fi to mystery to YA to poetry, you’ll find it here. With nearly 500 speakers and exhibitors from across the literary world, this two-day celebration of the written word has something for everyone who loves to curl up with a good book.As many as 250 authors from the Bay Area and beyond will be in attendance, including poet and playwright Ishmael Reed, author Joyce Carol Oates, journalist Adam Hochschild, historian David Blight, and political commentator Robert Reich, for interviews, panels, and talks. Special events include a tribute to poet and socialist activist Lawrence Ferlinghetti on his 100th birthday and a screening of The Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, in honor of the beloved Bay Area science fiction author who passed away last year.The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra will be on hand to perform original works inspired by the work of Bay Area poets. Beyond that, the festival also features a bustling outdoor fair with four stages, 200 literary exhibitors, and a special area set up just for families and young readers. Get out there and read.

Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 5, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m., outdoor events are free, but tickets to indoor programs cost $10-$15, downtown Berkeley, BayBookfest.org.

Faces of the East Bay