Here’s how to sign up to see 2020 Miami Book Fair, albeit virtually
So you are eager to attend this year’s Miami Book Fair — but not quite sure how to go about it.
We can help.
For the first time, the country’s largest book fair is going virtual, tough news for the thousands of fairgoers who flock to the Wolfson campus of Miami Dade College every November. But this year, from Nov. 15-22, you can attend the fair in the comfort of your own home, and it won’t cost you a cent. You won’t even have to face Miami traffic to get there.
Here’s what you need to know: The complete fair schedule will be available at miamibookfair.com on Oct. 15. You’ll need to register there or at miamibookfaironline.com/. Starting Nov. 1 , registered fairgoers will be able to begin building their personal watchlists (like you do on Netflix). You can also complete a profile based on your interests, and the website will recommend authors to you. You’ll find out which events are live and which you can watch anytime.
And on Nov. 15, the site goes live.
Here are just a few of the confirmed authors who will appear at the fair this year:
Lee Child; Kevin Kwan; Joyce Carol Oates; Terry McMillan; Ben Okri; Roddy Doyle; Dean Koontz; Mary Gordon; Nelson George.
Claudia Rankine; Jeffrey Toobin; P.J. O’Rourke; Anthony DePalma; Erin Brockovich
Margaret Atwood; Heidi Erdrich; Juan Felipe Herrera
There is no physical Children’s Alley, so you’ll have to paint your kids’ faces yourself. But the fair will host children’s programming every day after school throughout the week and also on the weekends, with live workshops where you can learn how to write a song, build a video game or write a poem.
Still have questions? Head to a virtual happy hour at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 for program announcements and more explanations on how the new platform works. You can join a live Q & A and win giveaways, plus get the first look at this year’s book fair poster by Dan Santat, children’s book author and illustrator and creator of the Disney series “The Replacements.” Also appearing is Miami-based musician Richie Hell.
Visit www.crowdcast.io/e/ MBF-2020-Online-Preview.
Connie Ogle: 305-376-3649, @OgleConnie