The 28th edition of the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering, Miami Book Fair International, presented by The Center @ MDC, will take place Nov. 13-20 at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave. in downtown Miami.
The always-popular Street Fair runs Friday through Sunday, Nov.18-20, with more than 200 exhibitors from around the country selling books in a festive atmosphere.
The Fair, MDC’s flagship cultural event, once again will treat book lovers to more than a week of cultural and educational activities, including the beloved “Evenings With…” series, the IberoAmerican Authors program, Student Literary Encounters, Children’s Alley and the Weekend Festival of Authors, including comics and graphic novel panels, author presentations for tweens and teens, and much more.
The Miami Writers Institute, a spring program of The Center, will debut a fall edition this year during Book Fair week with creative writing workshops taught by authors Pablo Medina and Robert Pinsky, among others.
This year, the fair will showcase the rich literature and traditions of China. Fairgoers will enjoy a pavilion featuring Chinese art and music, in addition to a daylong conference on Chinese culture scheduled for Friday of the Fair, and readings by Chinese and Chinese American writers during the Festival of Authors.
Each year, the fair raises the bar of excellence by offering a fine roster of writers from the U.S. and abroad, and this year will be no exception. Confirmed authors include singer, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte; singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash; Chinese novelist Yu Hua; Sen. Bob Graham; former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky; graphic novelist Dan Clowes; NPR Radio host Bob Edwards; anthropologist and physician Dr. Paul Farmer; journalist Jim Lehrer; critically acclaimed debut novelist Tea’ Obreht; novelist and essayist Colson Whitehead; novelist Michael Ondaatje; children’s author Megan McDonald; Native American writer Leslie Marmon Silko, and filmmaker John Sayles.
The IberoAmerican program will present an array of Spanish-speaking literary voices from around the world, including author and Spanish TV personality Jaime Bayly (Peru), poet and author Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua), novelist Esmeralda Santiago (U.S./Puerto Rico), novelist Javier Sierra (Spain), among others. In addition, the fair always welcomes writers from Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and more.
Miami Book Fair International 2011 promises to be another exceptional literary event. For regular updates on the Miami Book Fair, visit online at www.miamibookfair.com, call 305-237-3528 or send email to bookfair@mdc.edu.
