Free young adult, children's programs part of Maine Festival of the Book
Download a Maine Festival of the Book brochure HERE.
Programs designed for all ages and interests will be presented at the Maine Festival of the Book on Saturday, April 10 at the Abromson Center at the University of Southern Maine, Portland. The programs are free and open to the public.
Presented by Maine Reads, the festival offers more than 30 readings, signings, performances, and panel discussions. With the exception of Opening Night on the evening of April 9, a benefit for Maine Reads featuring bestselling authors Tess Gerritsen and Anita Shreve, programs are free. (Tickets for Opening Night are available through www.mainereads.org.)
On Saturday, April 10, young adult and children’s authors will be on hand to sign books and chat with their fans at a special book signing presented by Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, from noon to 2 pm at the Abromson Center at USM.
Just prior to the book signing session, at 11 am on Saturday, comic book artist Jay Piscopo will present a cartooning workshop for children ages 7-12 at the Abromson Center as part of the Maine Festival of the Book. The workshop is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve, basis.
Using simple geometric shapes, Jay will demonstrate how anyone can learn to draw and create comics. While sharing cartooning tips, he will teach perspective and figure drawing to create art that tells a story. Art supplies will be provided.
Portland artist Jay Piscopo is the author and illustrator of The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli, an all-ages graphic novel series. He also co-created The Scrap City Pack Rats, art directed the award-winning Fizz and Martina Math Adventures, and was an animator for ABC TV’s Squigglevision.
Piscopo will also donate his time as part of the festival’s outreach efforts and will present a program for students in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates program that week.
The festival will also include free readings and discussions for the adult audience starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 10 at the Abromson Center at USM. Programs will run concurrently for approximately an hour each, giving attendees the opportunity to spend a day immersed in new literature and meeting some of their favorite authors while moving from programs ranging from biography, to writing novels, to gardening and historic preservation.
The Maine Festival of the Book is produced by Maine Reads in collaboration with organizations statewide.
Dedicated to the fight for a more literate Maine, Maine Reads provides meaningful programs that celebrate Maine’s rich literacy heritage and encourage literacy and collaboration.
In addition to the Maine Festival of the Book, Maine Reads presents Read With ME., which distributes books to kindergartners statewide, and the Maine Reads Community Literacy Project, which supports libraries statewide.
