New York Times Best Selling Author, Eric Weiner, to Appear at Collingswood Book Festival
4.22.08 Self-described grump Eric Weiner set out to travel the world to discover just who the happiest people on earth are. The results are chronicled in his best selling book, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World. Weiner spent a year visiting Switzerland, Qatar, Thailand, Iceland and many other exotic and ordinary places. His “field work” focused on the regular folks such as bus drivers, innkeepers, and bar tenders. What makes the book fun is that Weiner not only reports on the people he visits, he often participates in their lifestyles. Weiner discovers that happiness may be found where we least expect it. Come to the Book Festival on Saturday, October 4, 2008 to find out where you fit on the happiness meter. Discover who the happiest people on earth are and which US city has the greatest happiness quotient.
Eric Weiner is a national correspondent for NPR and is based in Washington, DC. He is a veteran foreign correspondent with postings in New Delhi, Jerusalem, and Tokyo. Over the years, Weiner has distinguished himself as a versatile correspondent, covering wars and other major world events and occasionally switching his focus to the lighter side of life overseas. In addition to writing about happiness, he has reported about Japan’s high-tech toilets and Baghdad’s famous pet market.
Retrospect Best of the Fest Winner Announced
10.16.07 Dan Allosso has won the first annual Retrospect Best of the Fest Award in the genre of Young Adult Fiction for his novel Outside the Box. The award recognizes outstanding work by self-published authors. Mr. Allosso, who hails from Minnesota, traveled to accept the award at the Fifth Annual Collingswood Book Festival on Saturday, October 6. Brett Ainsworth, publisher of The Retrospect, presented the award. Mr. Allosso read an excerpt from his novel, a story about an isolated sixteen year old boy whose actions in a sophisticated video game result in a surprising discovery. For more about the book, go to www.outsidetheboxbook.com.
Name the Author Contest Winner - 2007
10.8.07 This year’s contest featured best selling 20th century authors. Congratulations to Ruth Rouff who correctly identified 13 authors. If you scroll down to 11.14.06 in this section, you will see that Ruth also won the contest last year. The answer key follows:
1. Dean Koontz
2. Gail Sheehy
3. Dr. Seuss/Thodor Geisel
4. Philip Roth
5. Willa Cather
6. Tom Wolfe
7. Toni Morrison
8. Mario Puzo
9. Harper Lee
10. Nelson DeMille
11. H.G. Wells
12. Alex Haley
13. Margaret Mitchell
14. Salman Rushdie
15. Amy Tan
16. Daphne DuMaurier
17. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
18. Truman Capote
19. Pearl Buck
20. Thomas Wolfe
Book Festival on TV
10.2.07 One of this week's Collingswood Book Festival events were
featured on live television when CN8 visited the Pop Shop today. Jill
Horner, a reporter for "Your Morning," interviewed Joe Sambuco about the
Festival. Also featured were the Pop Shop's Connie and Bill Fisher, who
will be serving up green eggs and ham as part of Dining with Dr. Seuss
Day, on Wednesday, October 3. And, for an added bonus, Book Festival
authors/performers Danny and Kim Adlerman (pictured) were there to
entertain the crowd of kids and adults. For more information about all
the festivities, click on Schedule of Events.
And the nominees are...
9.17.07 The Collingswood Book Festival is pleased to announce the finalists for the Retrospect "Best of the Fest" Awards for Self-Published Authors, a contest to discover up-and-coming literary talents. This year, submissions were accepted in the Young Adult and Mystery genres. The finalists in the Young Adult genre are:
Dan Allosso, of Mankato, MN: Outside the Box
Katarina M. Corda, of Sewell, NJ: Under Pressure
Therese Marlin, of Haddonfield, NJ: War From a Distance
No submissions conforming to contest criteria were submitted in the Mystery genre.
The winner will be announced during the Collingswood Book Festival on Saturday, October 6, 2007, at 10:00 AM in Tent 2. In addition to a $500 cash prize, the winner will be given time to read from, sign, and sell his or her book. Also, the author and book will be featured in South Jersey publications.
Sages of Ages Literary Day
Reading and creative writing are more exciting when you’re doing more than 50!
9.6.07 To keep the mature mind razor sharp, regular exercise, social interaction, and a healthy diet are crucial. But so are creative writing and reading aloud. You’ll have every opportunity to stimulate precious brain cells when the Collingswood Book Festival presents Sages of Ages Literary Day on Wednesday, October 3, 2007, starting at 1:00 PM at the Collingswood Community Center. Join your fellow Seniors and Late Boomers for an afternoon packed with literary events, including speakers on innovative journaling, local seniors who became authors, good reading and good books. Share ideas and lots of laughs while playing mind-teasing literary games. Win a myriad of gifts and awards. Senior and church groups are welcome. All events will be free.
Marianne Hieb, the well-known authority and workshop leader on creative journaling, will be among the speakers. Author Terry Marlin will discuss how she came to write her book for younger audiences in her senior years. Elizabeth Warner, Director of the Collingswood Poetry Circle, will conduct a “whose line is it” group-written poem.
As a special added treat, there will also be a Sages of Ages Poetry Performance… otherwise known as the “Ripe Poet’s Society.” Poems from local over-50 folks will be read by trained readers between the main events at the Poetry Pavilion Tent on Festival Day, Saturday October 6th. Innovative awards will go to the top selected “Ripe ‘n Ready Poets.”
Reservations for anyone over 50 can be made by calling Rosemary Fearon at 856-854-3705. Poems can be entered for the poetry performance by delivering or mailing to: Sages of Ages Poetry c/o Collingswood Library, 771 Haddon Ave., Collingswood NJ 08108. All entries must contain age, name, address, and telephone. No more than three entries per over-50 poet. Only selected poems will be read and inappropriate language can disqualify a poem. For more information about the Fifth Annual Collingswood Book Festival, go to www.collingswoodbookfestival.com. Patricia Robinson will sign copies of her book, The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail, at the Plexus Publishing, Inc. booth from 12:00 to 2:00 PM during the 5th Annual Collingswood Book Festival.
8.26.07 Patricia Robinson is a lifelong resident of New Jersey. She has been a
freelance travel writer, a public relations executive, a trade magazine
editor, and, most recently, an award winning reporter/photographer for a chain of weekly newspapers in Central New Jersey. She is the author of Wonderwalks: The
Trails of New Jersey Audubon (Plexus Publishing, Inc., 2003). For more
information, go to www.plexuspublishing.com
New Angle on Town Book
7.23.07 Are you ready for your summer reading adventure? This year’s Town Book comes with a special surprise. To celebrate the Collingswood Book Festival’s fifth anniversary, the book’s author will appear in person at the Book Festival to discuss her works.
This year’s selection is Triangle: A Novel by Katharine Weber. The book begins as a story about the deadly Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York City in 1911. The fire killed 146 people and galvanized efforts to reform working conditions in sweatshops. The story goes from fact to fiction as it takes a mysterious turn and delves into the lives of a fire survivor and her loved ones. Is this elderly survivor hiding a secret?
The Town Book Discussion of Triangle will be held on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:30 in the library. Expect a lively discussion in preparation for the author's appearance at the Book Festival on Saturday, October 6.
Copies of Triangle: A Novel are now available at the Collingswood Library. Paperback copies can be purchased at the Collingswood Book Trader at 825 Haddon Avenue. You will also be able to buy the book at the Collingswood Book Festival on October 6.
Book Festival Offers Poetry Workshop
7.20.07 The Collingswood Book Festival will offer a free Poetry Workshop for students in 4th, 5th and 6th grades on October 6, 2007 at 1:00 PM in the Collingswood Library. The workshop will be facilitated by award winning poet Darcy Cummings, who teaches writing for the Critical Writing Program at the University of Pennsylvania, for the New Jersey Writers Project, and for the Visual Poetry Program of The Public Arts Project at Rutgers University in Camden. Pre-registration is required for participation in the workshop. Applications will be available at the Collingswood Library and in Collingswood schools in September.
LITERARY AWARDS
4.19.07 Coming soon: the Collingswood Book Festival will roll out the “Best of the Fest” Awards for Self-Published Authors. Stay tuned for guidelines and application information.
NEXT YEAR’S FESTIVAL DATE ANNOUNCED
11.14.06 Mark your calendars! The date for the Fifth Annual Collingswood Book Festival has been set for Saturday, October 6, 2007. See you then!
NAME THE AUTHOR CONTEST WINNER
11.14.06 Congratulations to Ruth Rouff, winner of the Name the Author Contest with 18 correct answers. The prize was $100.00 in Collingswood Cash. The answer key follows:
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
MELISSA JACOBS
WALT WHITMAN
MAYA ANGELOU
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
CHARLES DICKENS
LORRAINE RANALLI
THOREAU
TOBIAS WOLFF
F. SCOTT FITGERALD
ELLEN MEISTER
W. SOMERSET MAUGHM
CAMILLE PAGLIA
JAMES JOYCE
LESLIE ESDAILE BANKS
EVELYN WAUGH
AGATHA CHRISTIE
MICHAEL SMERCONISH
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
DELIA PARR
MARK TWAIN
GERTRUDE STEIN
GORDON T. WARD
JOHN STEINBECK
Meet Michael Smerconisch at the Collingswood Book Festival!
7.18.06 Philadelphia lawyer turned political commentator Michael Smerconish will join the slate of authors at the fourth annual Collingswood Book Festival on Saturday, October 7, 2006. Mr. Smerconish is a talk-radio host on The Big Talker 1210 AM WPHT. He is a featured columnist with the "Philadelphia Daily News", and appears regularly as a guest on local and national television.
In his New York Times bestseller Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism, True Stories That Should Be Fiction, he takes on today's oversensitive culture with a collection of entertaining, outlandish anecdotes about PC gone wild-stories that are hilarious, horrifying, and unbelievably true. Mr. Smerconish states that words and actions in this country have been muted by those who assert political correctness while sacrificing the rugged individualism that has been the hallmark of our nation. His new book, as well as his previous book, Flying Blind: How Political Correctness Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Post 9/11, should inspire lively discussions at this year's festival.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Returns
7.10.06 Continuing the fight against pediatric cancer, Liz and Jay Scott will man Alex’s Lemonade Stand at the Collingswood Book Festival again this year. Liz and Jay are the parents of Alexandra Scott, who started the lemonade stand to help her doctors find a cure for kids with cancer. After battling her cancer for 7 1⁄2 years, Alex died peacefully at the age of 8. Her spirit and inspiration live on as thousands of people raise money and give to her cause every year. The Scotts will be available to sign their book, Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand. Proceeds go directly to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to help aid the fight against childhood cancer.
Author Line-up Shaping Up
6.20.06 The line-up of authors is shaping up for the 4th Annual Collingswood Book Festival. Camille Paglia will be speaking at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2006. Named one of the Top Public Intellectuals in the world by an international poll conducted in 2005 by the British Magazines Foreign Policy and Prospect, Professor Paglia is the author of Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson. Her fifth book, Break, Blow, Burn: Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems, was released by Pantheon Books in spring 2005 and became an immediate national bestseller. She is a University Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she has taught since 1984.
In addition to Camille Paglia, festival-goers will have a chance to meet the author of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series, Josh Piven. Also coming to the festival will be radio personality Lorraine Ranalli, co-author of The Adventures of Dayne Traveler book of short stories. Lloyd Allen will be there too. Lloyd is the author of Being Martha, about his friend and former neighbor, Martha Stewart. And fans of Melissa Jacobs await the return of the author of Lexi James and the Council of Girlfriends. Melissa will read from her delicious new book, Love, Life & Linguine. Sportswriter Sam Carchidi will be back too. His latest book is Bill Campbell: the Voice of Philadelphia Sports. Bill Campbell will join Sam Carchidi, so come out to the Collingswood Book Festival, rain or shine!----------
Old School is New Town Book
5.16.06 It’s official! This year, the Collingswood Town Book is Old School, by Tobias Wolff. It’s a story about ambition, snobbery, prejudice, loneliness and competitiveness in a New England boy’s prep school in the early 1960’s. The unnamed narrator participates in the school’s literary competitions in which private audiences with famous visiting authors are the prizes. While hiding his middle class background and Jewish ancestry, the narrator grapples with personal integrity, his own truths and his determination to win the favor of Ernest Hemmingway. As he struggles to become a writer, he must deal with the relationship between truth and lies in the creation of a work of art.
Tobias Wolff is the author of the memoir This Boy’s Life, the PEN/Faulkner Award–winning novella The Barracks Thief, and short stories acclaimed as modern classics. Old School, which was published in 2003, is Wolff’s first novel.
Copies of Old School are available at the Collingswood Library. Also, the book will be available for purchase at the Collingswood Book Trader. Read it now, and be prepared to kick off the 4th annual Collingswood Book Festival with a discussion of Old School on Monday, October 2, at the Collingswood Library.
----------ATTENTION KIDS! Poster Contest
4.12.06 Where do you like to read in Collingswood: The park, the pool, the playground, your porch? Join our poster contest! Create a poster using your choice of crayons, paint, markers, or photos (or a combination).
All posters must state the Book Festival theme:
“Collingswood: It’s Where You Want to Read” on the front of your poster.
Put your name, grade, and school on the back of your poster. The top five posters from each school will be awarded prizes by their PTAs and will be displayed at the Collingswood Public Library during the summer. These winning posters will then be judged by the Book Festival Committee. The top three entrants will be announced at the Festival on Saturday, October 7 and awarded grand prizes. Your completed posters must be turned into your principal’s office by Friday, May 19th. Sponsored by: Collingswood PTA’s, Collingswood Book Festival, & Collingswood Public Library.
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2006 Festival Announced
2.27.06 The Collingswood Book Festival has announced the dates for the Fourth Annual Festival in Collingswood, NJ. The 2006 Festival will start its week long activities on October 2, and end on October 7th with the all-day outdoor festival. Applications are now being accepted.
