Literary Feast marks its 30th year
The Literary Feast, Broward County’s most prestigious book event, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a jampacked weekend May 4 and 5.
Sponsored by the Broward County Library Foundation, the Literary Feast has connected South Floridians with more than 500 authors through the years and has raised $4 million for literacy programs and services.
The Literary Feast begins May 4 with several authors visiting Broward high schools to discuss writing with area students. LitLIVE! features authors participating in a series of free panels from 6 to 8 p.m. May 4 at three Barnes & Noble stores, where they will discuss their work, answer audience questions and sign books. A portion of all purchases in the store that night will be donated to the Library Foundation. Books must be purchased in the store for signing. The panels are free but ticketing is required.
“Fiction in Fort Lauderdale” (Barnes & Noble, 2051 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-561-3732) will feature David Bianculli (“The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to The Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific”), Sloane Crosley (“Look Alive Out There”), Elin Hilderbrand (“Winter Solstice”), Uzodinma Iweala (“Speak No Evil”) and Brendan Mathews (“The World of Tomorrow”).
“The Mystery Panel in Plantation” (Barnes & Noble, 591 S. University Drive, Plantation, 954-723-0489) includes A.J. Finn (“The Woman in the Window”), Mark Greaney (“Agent in Place”), Carl Hoffman (“The Last Wild Men of Borneo: A True Story of Death and Treasure”), Leah Stewart (“What You Don’t Know about Charlie Outlaw”) and Christopher Yates (“Grist Mill Road”).
“The Panel in the Pines” (Barnes & Noble, 11820 Pines Blvd. (Pembroke Crossings), Pembroke Pines, 954-441-0444) includes Vin Baker (“God and Starbucks: An NBA Star Loses Everything, Starts Over, and Achieves Success”), Amy Dickinson (“Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Coming Home”), Meryl Gordon (“Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend”), Rachel Herz (“Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science behind Our Relationship with Food”) and Liza Mundy (“Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II”).
A Night of Literary Feasts begins at 6 p.m. May 5, with a reception featuring all the authors at the Hyatt Regency Pier SixtySix in Fort Lauderdale, to be followed by dinners with authors in private homes and upscale restaurants. Tickets are $175 and are available on the foundation’s website, bplfoundation.org, or call 954-357-7382. shows. She’s the author of several cookbooks, including “Giada’s Italy: My Recipes for La Dolce Vita.” So “Spend an Hour with Celebrity Chef Giada De Laurentiis” sounds like a delicious event. De Laurentiis will be interviewed by Lee Brian Schrager, founder and director South Beach Wine and Food Festival, at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Orlove Auditorium. Cost is $36 per person, which includes one ticket and a signed book; $72 per person includes a meet-and-greet from noon to 1 p.m., a reserved seat and two signed books. Food samples will not be served at this event. A kosher for Passover “grab and go lunch” will be available for purchase separately.
Madeleine Albright made history when she was named the country’s first female secretary of state, a position she held through 2001. She received in 2012 the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Albright discusses her newest book, “Fascism: A Warning,” an examination of Fascism in the 20h century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, at 1:30 p.m. April 13 in the Orlove Auditorium. Cost is $36 per person, or $54 per couple, and includes one book, the program and a chance to have book signed; $72 per person includes a meet-and-greet from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., one reserved seat, one book and a photo opportunity. No cameras or photos permitted during the regular book signing.
For information on either these events, call 954-434-0499, ext. 336, or visit jccbooks.com. finding time to write seven thrillers. He will discuss his latest, “Proving Ground,” which Stephen King said was a “must read” at 6:30 p.m. at the West Boca Branch Library, 18685 State Road 7, Boca Raton, 561-470-1600.