These are just a few of the outstanding panelists featured at the 2020 Boerne Book & Arts Festival. The challenge in creating an exciting festival this year was how to do that safely for everyone. We decided to go with an online format, which gave us an opportunity of bringing in some authors we might not normally be able to obtain. We will have authors “Zooming” from California, Chicago, Savannah, and points across Texas.
Pulitzer-finalist S. C. Gwynne kicks things off at 11 am on Saturday, October 3rd, speaking about his latest book Hymns of the Republic: The Final Year of the American Civil War. Terry Shames grew up in Texas and wound up working as a CIA computer analyst at Langley, before deciding to become a mystery author. She won the coveted Maccavity award for the first book in her Samuel Craddock mystery series. Terry Shames will be featured on the “Mystery and Mayhem in Texas” panel discussion on Sunday, October 4th, at 4 pm.
October 4th is World Taco Day, and Texas Monthly editor José R. Ralat will be featured with his University of Texas Press book, American Tacos: A History and Guide. Novelist Elizabeth Wetmore grew up in Odessa, but now resides in Chicago. She is a National Endowment for the Arts recipient, and her debut novel “Valentine,” has gone on to become a best-seller. Elizabeth Wetmore will be featured on our “Strong Women Writing About Strong Women,” panel, Saturday, October 3rd, at 1 pm.
Alex Kershaw is a graduate of University College in Oxford. He is an honorary colonel in the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division. He’s an award-winning and New York Times best-selling author of many books, including his latest, The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II. His book The Liberator, is about San Antonio-born Felix Sparks, a US Army officer during the Allied liberation of Europe, in World War II. The Liberator is being made into a drama series for Netflix. Alex Kershaw is just one of the exceptional authors featured on our “Heroes of World War II” panel discussion, Sunday, October 4th, at 1 pm. We’re honored that local favorite and National hero Captain Tammie Jo Shults will be moderating this discussion for us.
Registration for the above programs and more can be done through our book festival website: www.boernebookfest.com. Attending these programs is free, but space in the webinar sessions is limited. Don’t miss your chance to listen to these powerful talks. We work hard behind the scenes for months leading up to the festival, providing a quality program for the community. We are happy to do it. One way the community can support the Library, and the book festival, is to purchase the books by the authors from our website. Proceeds will be used to benefit next year’s festival.
Those that purchase books through us will receive a signed Boerne Book & Arts Festival bookplate by the author, with their books. And I might point out autographed books make great holiday gifts! I’ve been giving signed books as birthday and holiday gifts since 1989. Do you have a great uncle that’s hard to buy for? And he likes military history? Done! A signed copy of an Alex Kershaw book will fit the bill. What about your aunt that loves a good mystery? Purchase books by any one of the three mystery authors on our “Mystery and Mayhem in Texas” panel, for her. You can get lots of your holiday shopping done right from your home the weekend of October 3rd and 4th, AND enjoy listening to some fantastic authors, while doing so! Please contact me at my e-mail with the library, if I can answer any questions for you, about the Boerne Book & Arts Festival: [email protected].