Skip to main content

Southern Festival of Books 2018

October 4, 2018

Southern Festival of Books is fast approaching, and this is its 30th anniversary! Check out my picks for this year.

Friday, October 12

My favorite book of the year so far: Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine

[[nid:4262]]Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air, says, “What I love most about Wilson's writing is that he'll start off with these goofy, almost sitcom-type contrived premises and from there create stories that knock you out with the force of their emotional truth.”  Wilson participates in the session "Masters of the Form: Short Story Collections."  
Friday, Oct 12
12:00-1:00 Conference Room 1A

One of the best-reviewed books of the fall: She Would Be King

[[nid:4261]]Author Wayetu Moore takes part in "Ancient Voices, Long Memories: Transgenerational Novels" with her magical realist novel about the formation of Liberia.
Friday, Oct 12
1:00-2:00 NPL auditorium

Regional interest: Silas House and Hannah Pittard

[[nid:4271]][[nid:4264]]

In "Not Giving Up: Novels of Survival," Kentucky author Silas House discusses his novel Southernmost (set in rural Tennessee after a flood), and Hannah Pittard features her novel Visible Empire, based on the true story of a 1962 plane crash that affected Atlanta.
Fri, Oct 12
2:00-3:00 NPL auditorium

Saturday, October 13

Local author: Lorrie Moore

[[nid:4265]]Moore, who is currently an English professor at Vanderbilt, will discuss her new essay collection See What Can Be Done: Essays, Criticism, and Commentary—although I must admit that I love her most for her short story collections and her novel Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
Saturday, Oct 13
10:00-11:00 NPL Conference Room 1A

Not to be missed: J.M Holmes

[[nid:4267]]Of his book How Are You Going to Save Yourself, Esquire says, “Holmes directly tackles issues of race, class and sex...this wholly original book is a gripping examination of what it is to be a man in America,” and NPR raves “It's hard to overstate what an incredible writer Holmes is.”  He's in a session with Jamie Quatro called "The Pulse of Living: Fearless New Fiction."
Sat, Oct 13
2:00-3:00 NPL Special Collections

Sunday, October 14

Librarian Pick: 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die

[[nid:4268]]Author James Mustich is on in The Great American Read panel along with Ron Charles, book editor for The Washington Post, and others.
Sunday, Oct 14
12:00-1:30 NPL Banner Room

Oprah pick and longlisted for the National Book Award: An American Marriage

[[nid:4269]]In one of the biggest sessions of the festival, Tayari Jones and Celeste Ng (author of Little Fires Everywhere) are in conversation in "Top of the Charts."  Get there early!
Sun, Oct 14
2:00-3:00 War Memorial Auditorium
beth winter

Beth

Beth works in the Collection Development department.  She loves short stories, memoirs, documentary films, and cookbooks.  Her favorite things about working at the library are knowing in advance about all the new releases and the easy access to her library holds.