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    GCAC Presents: Ohioana Author-Palooza!

    Ohio’s largest literary event is moving downtown . . . and you’re invited!

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    The Ohioana Library has been collecting, preserving, and celebrating Ohio literature since it was founded in 1929 by then-Ohio First Lady Martha Kinney Cooper (an avid reader who wanted a collection of books by Ohio authors in the Governor’s Mansion). Its tagline is “Connecting readers and Ohio writers,” and no event embodies that better than the Ohioana Book Festival.

    The festival launched in 2007 with ten authors and 600 attendees at the library’s home in the historic Jeffrey Mining Center. Within three years, the event had moved to Fort Hayes, where the number of programs, authors, and attendees continued to grow. Last spring, Fort Hayes was literally bursting at the seams, as the festival drew a record 96 authors and more than 3,000 visitors. It was time to move to a bigger space.

    After a search of venues around town, Ohioana chose the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square as the new site. The 9th annual Ohioana Book Festival will be presented there on Saturday, April 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    It’s a move we’re really excited about, taking the festival to the heart of downtown, adjacent to the Ohio Statehouse and Columbus Commons. One thing the move is making possible: increasing the number of authors from 96 to 110. As one person said, “You need to rename it the Ohioana Author-Palooza!”

    From the beginning, the event has drawn a dazzling array of Ohio scribes, from Pulitzer Prize winners to National Book Award finalists; from syndicated cartoonists to Hollywood screenwriters.

    Celeste Ng, whose debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, was Amazon.com's pick as the Best Book of 2014 will be at this year's festival. Photo by Kevin Day Photography.
    Celeste Ng, whose debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, was Amazon.com’s pick as the Best Book of 2014 will be at this year’s festival. Photo by Kevin Day Photography.

    This year is no exception. Just to name two of the featured authors: Celeste Ng, whose debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, was Amazon.com’s pick as the Best Book of 2014. Science fiction writer Mike Resnick holds the record for the most Hugo Award nominations (the sci-fi equivalent of the Oscar®) with 36 nominations and 5 wins. There are poets, novelists, biographers, essayists, children’s book writers and illustrators, authors of young adult fiction – something for every reader of every age. (to see the complete line-up of 2015 authors, visit Ohioanabookfestival.org).

    The festival, which is free and open to the public, will include panel discussions and a book fair where fans can meet their favorite authors. There will also be a special room with children’s programming, featuring activities and crafts from American Girl® Columbus, story times, costumed book characters, and more.

    It is no surprise that the Ohioana Book Festival has become, in just a few years, the single largest literary event in the Buckeye State (and one of the largest in the Midwest). Ohio has been, and is today, the home of many fabulous writers. Come meet 110 of them April 25 at the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square. If you love books and reading, it will truly be an author-palooza.

    The 9th annual Ohioana Book Festival is Saturday, April 25, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square, 75 East State Street, Columbus, OH 43215. Free admission. For information, call (614) 466-3831 or visit Ohioanabookfestival.org.

    GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.

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    David Weaver
    David Weaver
    David Weaver became executive director of the Ohioana Library Association in 2013. His career in the arts and public broadcasting spans more than 40 years.
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