The Tucson Festival of Books returns to the University of Arizona campus for another weekend celebrating words on paper – or screens.
The festival runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 15-16 and features hundreds of authors and dozens of activities, panels and events to attend.
The Festival of Books will have bilingual presentations, said Yvonne Ervin, Director of Development for the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry (CFCI).
A reading performed entirely in Spanish, “Lectura de Obra en Español,” features poet, novelist and playwright Rosina Conde and author and columnist Cristina Rivera Garza, according to the Tucson Festival of Books official website.
“Nuestras Raíces,” meaning “our roots,” is a series of events featuring Latino writers and artists.
From Thrills and Chills: Spine-Tingling Tales to Inspiring Science Wonder in Children, the wide range of festival events bring in thousands of visitors each year.
Poet and children’s book author Benjamin Alire Sáenz and Rigoberto González, associate professor of English at Rutgers University, are leading a panel called “Latino Writers in Conversation” where they discuss their “work, lives, and cultural identities,” according to the official website.
Their panel is just one among dozens of other talks visitors can attend.
“I love book festivals,” said Monique Navarro, an English and creative writing senior at the UA. “I went one year and people wore costumes from children’s books.”
The heart of the festival is located on the UA mall, or the center of campus and is free to the public.
For more information, visit www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org.