Keynotes and school visits kick off Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors

The 19th annual Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors kicks off Thursday evening and continues through the weekend. 
 
The first Bookmarks Festival was held in Old Salem in 2004. Today, it’s the largest annual book festival in the Carolinas.
 
Before heading into Saturday’s events, participating authors will be visiting 40 area schools, and interacting with thousands of students. The initiative has been part of the festival since the beginning, and Bookmarks Executive Director Jamie Rogers Southern says this gives schools access to these writers without having to pay author fees.
 
“We see a lot of engagement with students in those visits who maybe aren't big readers, or maybe haven't been exposed to this as a career path," she says. "But especially when an author comes who looks like them, who has a similar background as they do, and says, 'Hey, I did it. You can do it too,' it's overwhelming how amazing that experience is for children and for us to be able to see it.”
  
Saturday’s events are free and open to the public. They kick off with a keynote conversation between Stacey Abrams and Zaila Avant-garde about their respective children’s books.

“I think kids and adults will really be inspired by their message of using words, of using your voice to speak up for others who don't have that platform," Rogers Southern says. 
 
The rest of the day’s festivities consist of panels with about 50 authors at five venues in downtown Winston-Salem, book signings, as well as a new family engagement area with book-themed crafts and activities.