Barrington Library hosts Spring Literary Festival
After several years of successful "One Book" community programs, staff at the Barrington Area Library wanted to explore a more creative approach to celebrating the powerful way in which books and stories have an impact on peoples' lives.
The result is Barrington Books Week, a weeklong literary festival that mixes contemporary storytelling with humankind's centuries-old fascination with the printed word. The festival will take place at the library Friday, April 21, through Saturday, April 29. All events are free, but registration is requested at balibrary.org.
Five up-and-coming Chicago-area authors will be speaking on, selling, and signing their books during Barrington Books Week.
Rebecca Makkai kicks off the week at 7 p.m. Friday, April 21, with a discussion of her award-winning novel "The Hundred-Year House," set on Chicago's North Shore and featuring the colorful, offbeat lives of artists.
Popular author Raymond Benson appears from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 23, sharing his experiences as the officially commissioned author of original James Bond novels. Benson will also speak about the life of Ian Fleming and the Bond films and novels.
Buzzed-about romance author Sonali Dev will appear at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25. Dev brings a Bollywood beat to her love stories, which explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging in happily ever after.
It's no secret that people who love libraries also tend to love printed books, so don't miss "A Brief History of Bookmaking" with Chicago book artist April Sheridan at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26. Sheridan will even provide hands-on workshop activities on the art of making books.
For thrills of a different nature, be there at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 27, as Chicago author Charlie Donlea launches his latest thriller, "The Girl Who Was Taken." Donlea's first work, "Summit Lake," was a classic page-turner, and he will discuss that project as well.
The festival wraps up at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29, with best-selling author and award-winning journalist Robert Kurson. Kurson will discuss his latest, "Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship," as well as previous works, "Shadow Divers" and "Crashing Through."
Registration and additional details are available at the Barrington Area Library website, balibrary.org. The library is at 505 N. Northwest Hwy., Barrington.
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