For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the free-n-fabulous Tucson Festival of Books (TFOB) is back to an in-person event at the UofA on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13.
More than 100,000 guests are expected to celebrate, and the book fest organizers are thrilled to have them back!
“We are beyond excited,” says Children & Teen Author Co-chair Kathy Short, who helps coordinate the fun and exciting lineup of authors and illustrators for young people. While the virtual Festival of Books was well-attended, there’s nothing quite like meeting your favorite book or graphic novel creators up close. “Particularly with children and teens, that opportunity to personally interact with an author makes a really big difference in their interest in that author and in that author’s books,” Short explains. Making that human contact with each other and perhaps even getting that author or illustrator to sign your book can be inspiring.
Short started with the inaugural TFOB back in 2009. It’s grown to become the fourth largest book festival in the country! Not only are there inspiring author and illustrator panels throughout each day, it also offers a mind-blowing Science City concourse at the east end of the UofA Mall, including a bug area by the Arizona SciTech Festival. Near Cherry Avenue, the Lindley Literary Circus is sure to bring lots of gasps and laughs with its Peter Pan production! There’s a food and music venue, and the Children’s Area offers a free book giveaway thanks to the Stocker Foundation and has a stage that’ll have authors reading their stories aloud while the illustrator draws the characters! The teen stage, further down the Mall, will host cool panels of Young Adult authors. Bear Essential News will have its booth near the Children’s Area.
Local author and illustrator Adam Rex will wrap up TFOB by hosting “On your Mark, Get Set, Draw,” where children illustrators compete to create the best art based on a silly scenario and suggestions from the audience.
The fun kicks off at 9:30 a.m. both days and runs through 5:30 p.m. Parking is free around nearby parking garages, but fills up fast. With so many great workshops, panels and other fun happenings for kids and families, go to TucsonFestivalOfBooks.org to plan each day.
