Books by the Banks is back again and they’re pulling out all the stops for their 10th annual event.
According to Marketing Team Co-Leader Cari Hillman, this year’s festival is bigger than it’s ever been and will occupy two levels of the Duke Energy Convention Center.
Books by the Banks will be held Saturday, October 15, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Tickets for the event aren’t required, as Books by the Banks is free and open to the public.
This event, which is unique to the area, attracts nationally-known authors. It’s also remained loyal to its Cincinnati roots despite undergoing significant growth in the decade that the event has been around. Hillman adds that this year’s collectable event posted was designed by Cincinnati’s own best-selling author and illustrator Will Hillenbrand.
In anticipation of its 10th year and to make this the biggest Books by the Banks event yet, Hillman says that the Kid’s corner and Teen Scene areas have been expanded to make room for even more fun.
“There are additional opportunities to join in the fantastic author panels as well as the writing and getting published workshops,” she adds. “And, as always, visitors will have the opportunity to meet nationally-known authors and illustrators including Jenny Lawson, Maggie Stiefvater, Bob Shea, Will Hillenbrand, Marisa Silver, Leah Stewart, Chris Grabenstein, and many more.”
The event’s organizers have also collaborated with many regional organizations to host nine lead-up events to the main attraction.
There are still several remaining pre-festival events including:
Public School Book Giveaway with author and illustrator Will Hillenbrand on October 1. Select classrooms from the Books by the Banks service region will be given a free copy of Hillenbrand’s latest book and will also receive a personal school visit by the author. Select students will also receive a coupon to pick up another free book at the Books by the Bank festival.
Women Writing for (a) Change presenting “From Stand-up to Sit-down” on October 10 at Arnold’s Bar & Grill, which includes a series of brief performances highlighting a variety of writing genres. The evening will include short plays, songwriting, blogging, spoken word, and more.
On October 11, the University of Cincinnati will present “Genre Genius in Cincinnati: From SciFi to Hybrid Forms” at the university’s Langsam Library. Creating writing experts and practitioners will be on-site for an afternoon of sharing and discovery. The sessions from the day will focus on Science Fiction and Fantasy, Comics and Graphic Novels, and the mixed mastery of Hybrid Forms.
The Kenton County Library will present “Author Talk,” with additional details to be released as the event grows closer.
The MidPointe Library is presenting “A Night with Bob Shea” on Friday, October 14 at the MidPoint Library West Chester Branch.
Then, the Books by the Banks Cincinnati Regional Book Festival will kick off on Saturday with more than 100 local writers and national bestselling authors under one roof. You can buy books and have them signed by their authors and enjoy free entertainment and activities for the entire family.
To learn more about Books by the Banks and what you can expect at this year’s event, visit www.booksbythebanks.org.
