Miami Book Fair International Offers Mix of Literary Talent With Popular Evenings Series and Various Author Presentations Nov. 8-13

MIAMI – Miami Book Fair International (Fair) will again treat book lovers to a week of cultural and educational activities, including a bevy of author presentations beginning Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Wolfson Campus.

The author presentations will begin with award-winning poet, essayist and scholar Elizabeth Alexander at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. Alexander is best known for writing and delivering President Barack Obama’s inaugural poem, Praise Song for the Day. She is the author of five poetry collections, most recently American Sublime (2005), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry, and is currently a professor of African American Studies at Yale University.

The beloved Evenings With series will kick off with Margaret Atwood and continues with Barbara Kingsolver, Jeannette Walls, Richard Powers, Isabella Rossellini, and Orhan Pamuk. Other evening programs include a presentation by food critic Ruth Reichl and Color of Comics: Does It Matter, a discussion on race and multicultural representation in comics and graphic novels featuring a panel of authors and artists who work in the format. There is also a free program dedicated to Francophone novelists and poets, entitled An Evening of Francophone Literature, at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 in Room 3208-09 of the Chapman Conference Center at MDC’s Wolfson Campus.

All Evenings With presentations will be held in the Chapman Conference Center (Bldg. 3, 2nd Floor) at the MDC Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. 2nd Ave., downtown Miami. All Evenings With require a ticket that must be purchased for $10 in advance. To purchase, visit www.miamibookfair.com.

Evening programs include:

· Elizabeth Alexander (Praise Song for the Day) – 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8 – Free.

· Margaret Atwood (The Year of the Flood) – 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8 – $10 admission.

· Ruth Reichl (Gourmet Today: More Than 1,000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen) – 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9 – Free.

· Barbara Kingsolver (The Lacuna) – 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9 – $10 admission.

· Jeannette Walls (Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel) – 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10 – $10 admission.

· Richard Powers (Generosity: An Enchantment) – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11 – $10 admission.

· Isabella Rossellini (Green Porno) – 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12 – $10 admission.

· Orhan Pamuk (The Museum of Innocence) – 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 – $10 admission.

· Color of Comics: Does It Matter? – 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 – Free.

· An Evening of Francophone Literature – 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 – Free.

As a precursor to all the presentations, Fair organizers will introduce Twilight Tastings, where on each evening leading up to the special sessions, local fine eateries will offer a complimentary samples of their cuisine along with a drink. Some of the featured restaurants include: Hard Rock Café; Mamajuana Café; and Miami’s Finest Caribbean Restaurant.

Other highlights of the week-long Fair include author readings, book signings, the IberoAmerican Authors program, the popular Street Fair (Nov. 13-15 on the closed streets of downtown Miami surrounding the Wolfson Campus), Children’s Alley, Comix Galaxy, and much more.