Norwalk Public Library's Eighth Book And Author Festival Announced For November

NORWALK, CT — The Norwalk Public Library will host its eighth Book and Author Festival at its Main Library, located at 1 Belden Avenue, on Nov. 2.

According to a news release provided by the library, Mayor Harry Rilling will be joined by Stew Leonard Jr., Kim Leonard and Stewie the Duck to kick off the event, which is free to the public, at 10 a.m. in the spirit of this year's theme, "Uniting the Community."

The Norwalk Public Library partnered with Connecticut Book Festivals, led by two of its talented writers, Luca DeMatteo and Andrea Petitte.

The library is also pleased to have young authors at this year’s festival, including 7-year-old Geneva Grodin and 15-year-old DeMarko Avant.

There will be a total of over 60 authors at this year’s festival. Each author will host a table in the library, where they plan to sell and autograph copies of their books. They also plan to share their personal stories with readers and other authors.

In addition to inclusion in the festival booklet, the authors represented will have their books showcased in the library's local author corner and available for checkout, according to the library.

Throughout the year, the Norwalk library also hosts several AuthorSpeak events that showcase many local, independent writers. Writing classes are also offered virtually and at the main library on a regular basis.

"Everyone has a story," Director of Adult Library Services Cynde Lahey said in a news release. "By sharing their stories through writing books, authors bring to us a world filled with caring, understanding and compassion for each other. This leads readers to rejoice in the journey and to discover new worlds and new challenges."

The library's Book and Author Festival has evolved over the past eight years. Having begun as Indie Author Day, it became an opportunity to bring together local writers and readers for education, networking, workshops, and more.

Cultivating a community of local authorship, mentoring fledgling writers and providing library patrons with access to exciting new literary voices are the objectives for the 2024 Norwalk Book and Author Festival, according to the library.

A variety of items will also be raffled during the festival. Among them are tickets to a Yale Football Game, Westport Country Playhouse, Wall Street Theater, Music Theatre of Connecticut and passes to Stepping Stones Museum.

More information is available here.