Past Festivals

2011 Amelia Island Book Festival

View the 2011 Authors

FESTIVAL EVENTS
Friday – February 18, 2011

Authors in Schools
All Nassau County Schools 9:00am – 2:00pm
The Amelia Island Book Festival is proudest of its Authors in Schools Program. Featured Authors visit thousands of students at all Nassau County schools, from kindergarten through high school, for lively talks, readings and programs, inspiring interest in reading and enjoyment of books.

Sponsored by Debonair

Writers’ Workshops

FSC Campus – Betty P. Cook Nassau Center 9:00am – 4:20pm
Click Here for Directions and Map
Tickets: $65 (Luncheon included) on sale Dec. 1 for Festival Members and Non-Members Jan. 1
After January 30th $85
Workshops cover a range of topics concerned with writing, editing, and publishing. Midday will be an entertaining and informative luncheon with keynote speaker New York Times bestselling author Susan Vreeland.

Workshops and Speakers subject to change

Agent & Editor Appointments
FSC Campus – Betty P. Cook Nassau Center 10:00am – 4:00pm
$25: 10 minute pitch session

Jim Gilbert, River City Publishing
Holly McClure, Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency

9:00 – 9:50am	Agent and Editor Panel Agents Holly McClure and Jeanie Collins Pantelakis and River City Publishing Editor, Jim Gilbert share their thoughts and expertise on how to sell your work in this tough market.	All the Colors of the Crucible: Alchemical Writing This is a powerful metaphor, as well as practice, and in this workshop Laura Hope-Gill will walk with you through the transformative water, fire, air and earth of making strong poems and stories. This is a workshop for poets as well as authors and creative nonfiction writers.	Characterization and Diversity Laura Castoro shows how to make the most of characterization using diverse backgrounds, ages and ethnicity.
10:00- 10:50am	Pitch Session Does thinking about pitching your story to an editor or agent make your knees shake or palms sweat? In this interactive workshop you will be provided the necessary tools to create and practice your spiel.	Making Real People As Real As Fictional Characters Wayne Greenhaw will share his secrets to writing intriguing yet informative eye-witness history and memoirs.	Put Your Writing into High Gear with Strong Narrative Drive Award-winning author Vic DiGenti reveals some of the secrets other authors use to create a strong narrative drive that pulls the reader along, leaving them wondering what will happen next.
11:00 – 11:50am	Dramatic Writing Roundtable David-Matthew Barnes gives an open discussion on current trends in writing for stage, screen and television.	Discovering the Writer Within Phyllis Jensen Campbell shares how to use personal experiences and life’s lessons to create wonderful, memorable stories.	Feature Writing Panel Bestselling author Bob Morris and Belinda Hulin share the ins and outs of feature and travel writing.
12:00 – 1:15pm	Writer’s Workshop Luncheon Keynote speaker New York Times bestselling author Susan Vreeland Author of Clara and Mr. Tiffany
1:30 – 2:20pm	The Revisionist Warrior: Battle Plans for Attacking the Revision Process Award–winning author and FWA Regional Director, Vic DiGenti, introduces weapons and tactics for attacking the revision process to help both the new and veteran writer revise with confidence.	Stop and Smell the Roses: Using The Five Senses With exceptional descriptions, Laura Castoro provides the tools needed to use all the senses to create dynamic and memorable writing.	The 45-minute MFA Laura Hope-Gill will share the ten elements of craft that poets have been using, really, for centuries to “pack their work in salt and ice” and make it live forever.	Real People – Real Time Daniel Schafer explains how to write effective and entertaining historical nonfiction.
2:30 – 3:20pm	Shameless: The Author’s Art of Self-Promotion David-Matthew Barnes offers innovative strategies to garner more attention via the Internet. Find out how websites, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blogging, email blasts and discussion forums can bring big results.	Creating Serial Heroes Bestselling author Bob Morris provides insight into the art of writing serial characters. Keeping them intriguing and entertaining while making the reader demand to want more.	15 Top Tips for Writing a Novel In writing the historical novel the writer must be able to differentiate between historical fact and speculation, develop a convincing historical vocabulary, and get in to the mindset of people living in centuries past. Arliss Ryan gives 15 solid tips for researching and writing an engaging historical novel.
3:30-4:20pm	Self-Publishing: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly An in-depth discussion on all there is to know about self-publishing with Jane Wood.	Walking Through Clouds: Making Your Writing Life Just That Easy Rosemary Daniell shows you how to unlock your creativity to make writing easy.	Writing & Publishing Children’s Books Award winning author Marianne Berkes shares her secrets on writing and publishing a children’s book with a traditional press.

FESTIVAL EVENTS
Saturday – February 19, 2011

Children’s Chapter
St. Peter’s Campus 9:00am – 3:00pm
FREE Admission
Action, fun, storytelling, and excitement are all a part of The Children’s Chapter. Activities include hands-on crafts, engaging readings and meeting the authors all of which will stimulate the imagination and challenge creativity of all who attend.

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Author’s Luncheon
Atlantic Recreation Center 12:00 – 1:30pm
Tickets: $40 on sale Dec. 1 for Festival Members and Non-Members Jan. 1
The Authors Luncheon features an author at every table. The keynote speaker will be critically acclaimed and best-selling author Rick Bragg. The lunch is capped off with an awards ceremony and the AIBF Writer’s Scholarship presentation.

Civil Rights Historians

Stetson Kennedy, Wayne Greenhaw and Rodney L. Hurst, Sr. launch Amelia Island Book Festival Saturday line-up.

Award-winning author and human rights champion Stetson Kennedy joins Harper Lee Award winner Wayne Greenhaw and civil rights activist Rodney L. Hurst, Sr. in reminiscing about their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement during the tumultuous 1950s to 1970s in the South.

Saturday, February 19, 2011, 9:30 AM, St. Peter’s Campus. FREE!

9:30-
10:20am

The Soul Tree: Poems and Photographs of the Southern Appalachians
Laura Hope-Gill shares a multi-media poetic program.

Boomers in Love

Laura Castoro discusses the challenges associated with crafting upbeat, positive portraits of the mature character.

Storytelling for All Ages
Gerald Hausman presents a lively folklore presentation complete with a myriad of sound effects.

How Memoir Writing Saved My Life
Phyllis Jensen Campbell shares her personal story.

10:30 – 11:20am

The Soul Tree: Poems and Photographs of the Southern Appalachians continued…

Writing about Natural Disasters
Judy Fradin discusses her first-hand accounts about her travels, adventures and the dangers of natural disasters.

Shimmer: How Writing Brings Light to Life’s Darkest Moments
Rosemary Daniell provides insight on how writing can change your life.

Fiction Authors Panel

David Matthew Barnes
Bob Morris
Pamela Bauer Mueller
Dr. A’ndrea J. Wilson

Chat with New York Times bestselling author Susan Vreeland

Author of Clara and Mr. Tiffany

Book Signing
Phyllis Jensen Campbell
Laura Castoro
Gerald Hausman

12:00 – 1:30pm

Author’s Luncheon
Keynote Speaker Rick Bragg, author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling All Over but the Shoutin’.

Music and Stories

Critically acclaimed author and songwriter, Darrell House performs folk & acoustic music along with dramatic storytelling.

Author Bites
An informal lunch with various Featured Authors with onsite purchase of box lunch.

1:30 – 2:00pm

Book Signing
Rick Bragg
David Matthew Barnes

Book Signing
Rosemary Daniell
Judy Fradin

Book Signing
Laura Hope-Gill
Darrell House

Book Signing
Bob Morris
Pamela Bauer Mueller

Book Signing
Susan Vreeland
Dr. A’ndrea J. Wilson

2:00 – 2:50pm

Could Anne Shakespeare Have Written The World’s Greatest Plays?
Anne Shakespeare is often portrayed as the unloved wife of Will. But what if she became a playwright herself? Arliss Ryan examines the qualities a 16th century woman would have to posses to achieve that goal.

Digging in the Dirt: Poetry as Personal Archeology
How do you use real life experiences, even unpleasant ones, to create poems? Anne Webster discusses how the poet’s job is to bring the details to life in a way that will connect to others.

Historical Thoughts Panel
Authors Daniel L. Schafer and Wayne Greenhaw share their thoughts on writing Historical nonfiction.

Fiction Authors Panel
Laura Castoro
Anne Haw Holt
J. Ray Meyer
Hank Racer

Chat with New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford

Author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

3:00 – 3:50pm

Coloring Outside of the Lines: Writers Crossing Gender and Cultures
When an author creates characters opposite of their gender and culture are the voices any less authentic? Is the literary value diminished? David-Matthew Barnes discusses these and other exciting questions.

Killing People In Exotic Places
Bestselling author Bob Morris talks about the dichotomy of choosing fun, intriguing locations when writing about the evils of mankind.

James Bond Did Not Write This Poem
Does being in the presence of a poem evoke the same emotions as the opening sequence of a Bond film? Laura Hope-Gill shares with you a couple of poems sharing her love of poetry. Together you will dis-arm poetry.

Your Table, Your History: Writing the Keepsake Cookbook
Belinda Hulin shares her personal experiences.
Moderator:

Nonfiction Authors Panel
Phillys Jensen Campbell

Rosemary Daniell
Judy Fraden
Annette M. Myers
Dr. A’ndrea J. Wilson

Book Signing

Jamie Ford
Laura Castoro
Wayne Greenhaw
Anne Haw Holt
J. Ray Meyer
Hank Racer

Arliss Ryan
Daniel L. Schafer
Anne Webster

4:00 – 4:30pm

Book Signing

David Matthew-Barnes
Phillys Jensen Campbell

Book Signing
Rosemary Daniell
Laura Hope-Gill

Book Signing

Belinda Hulin
Judy Fradin