This spring’s Waupaca BookFest will feature a total of 15 authors for readers of all ages.
The festival will be held on Saturday, April 18, at the Waupaca Area Public Library and will conclude with a concert that evening.
There will be several lead-up events to the festival.
At 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, Joe Niese will be the featured Winchester Academy speaker.
“From the Farm to the Big Leagues: Burleigh Grimes and Andy Pafko” will be the title of his presentation.
Niese is an author, librarian and baseball researcher.
The program is free and will be held in the lower level meeting rooms of the Waupaca Area Public Library.
June Melby, author of “My Family and Other Hazards,” will be featured at the library’s Tuesday, April 14 Lunch & Learn program.
A light lunch will be catered by a local restaurant.
The program is free, open to the public and begins at noon. Reservations may be made by calling the library at 715-258-4414.
Other events leading up to the book festival will include a family hidden object search throughout downtown Waupaca two weeks before the festival, an altered books exhibit in the library’s exhibit room and a poetry night on Saturday, April 4, hosted by Waupaca High School’s Dead Poets Society.
Minneapolis poet Dylan Garity will lead the poetry workshop and performance, at the Waupaca Woods Restaurant.
There will be Writers’ Workshops on Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, at the library.
Author and writing coach Judy Bridges will lead a free workshop titled “Writing Life & Family Stories” from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16.
“The World of E-Publishing” will be the title of Karla Klemme’s free workshop. It will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, April 17.
Klemme is an author and e-publishing expert.
Christine DeSmet will lead “Write Your Novel Like a Pro” from 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 17.
DeSmet, an author and University of Wisconsin-Madison writing instructor, is among this year’s presenting authors at the book festival.
Her workshop will be limited to 30 students, and the fee is $20.
On Friday, April 17, three authors will visit Waupaca schools to talk to students.
They will be Mike Mullin, S.J. Kincaid and Derek Anderson.
Anderson is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of 21 books for children, five of which he wrote.
He will talk to elementary students, as well as to WHS art students.
“Insignia” is Kincaid’s debut novel, which was followed by “Vortex” and “Catalyst.” She will visit the middle school.
Mullin is the award-winning author of the young adult “Ashfall” novels and will also talk to students.
The Friday, April 17 schedule will also include an authors’ reception that evening.
Tickets will go on sale in the spring for the event, which will include an evening of desserts, coffee and converstation with this year’s presenting authors.
On Saturday, April 18, author presentations will take place from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the library.
DeSmet, Bill Berry, Victoria Houston, Dean Jensen and Jim Trainor will be part of a Wisconsin panel of authors.
Nickolas Buter, Stan Tekiela and Larry Watson will also be among this year’s authors.
Butler is the author of the bestselling novel “Shotgun Lovesongs.”
He grew up in Eau Claire and lives in rural Wisconsin.
Butler’s collection of short stories titled “Beneath the Bonfire” will be released in May.
Tekiela is a naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer who has authored more than 130 field guides, nature appreciation books and wildlife audio CDs for almost every state in the country.
His presentation will take place on Friday, April 17.
Watson is a poet, short story writer and novelist.
His books include “Montana 1948,” “American Boy,” “Orchard,” “In a Dark Time,” “White Crosses,” “Laura” and “Let Him Go.”
Watson has taught writing and literature at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Marquette University. He lives in Milwaukee.
This year’s book festival will end with a concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Chain O’ Lakes Bar & Grill, in King.
The band “Half Pants” will play until 8 p.m., and there will also be a silent auction.
People may visit waupacalibrary.org for additional information about the book festival.