Tucson Festival of Books

Last updated
Tucson Festival of Books
Tucson Festival of Books Logo.svg
University of Arizona May 2019 38 (Mall).jpg
The event is held on the University of Arizona Mall
StatusIn Person
FrequencyAnnually
VenueUniversity of Arizona Mall
Location(s) Tucson, Arizona
InauguratedMarch 14, 2009;14 years ago (2009-03-14)
FoundersBill Viner, Frank Farias, John M. Humenik, Bruce Beach, Brenda Viner
Most recentMarch 2022 (2022-03)
Attendance135,000 (2017)
Organized byThe Tucson Festival of Books Foundation
Filing status501(c)3 non-profit organization
Sponsors The Arizona Daily Star, The University of Arizona, Tucson Medical Center, Others
Website tucsonfestivalofbooks.org

The Tucson Festival of Books is a free annual book fair held in Tucson, Arizona during the second weekend in March. It was established in 2009 by Bill Viner, Frank Farias, John M. Humenik, Bruce Beach, and Brenda Viner.

Contents

History

The first annual festival featured around 450 authors and welcomed over 50,000 regional visitors. For most recent Festival in 2017, attendance reached over 135,000. [1] The event typically includes special programming for children and teens, panels by best-selling and emerging authors, a literary circus, culturally diverse programs, a poetry venue, exhibitor booths and two food courts. [2] [3] The Festival's mission is to improve literacy rates among children and adults in Southern Arizona. Since its creation, the Festival has donated over $1.65 million to agencies that improve literacy in the community such as Reading Seed, Literacy Connects, and University of Arizona Literacy Outreach Programs. [4] [5] In addition to aiding the fight against illiteracy, the festival also helps the local community tremendously. In a study by a students at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, the festival was found to pump an estimated $4 million into Tucson’s economy annually. [6] The festival has also been covered by C-SPAN in the past, with over 120 videos in the C-SPAN Video Library. [7]

The 2020 edition of the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] The event will be held virtually in 2021. [9]

Festival Founders Award

In 2011, the Festival Founders Award was established to recognize exceptional literary achievement. Below is a list of past winners: [10]

YearAuthorNote
2011 Elmore Leonard
2012 Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
2013 R. L. Stine
2014 Richard Russo
2015 Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Sam Barry, Greg Isles, Ridley Pearson, Amy Tan & Scott Turow
- The Rock Bottom Remainders
2016 J. A. Jance
2017 T. C. Boyle
2018 Billy Collins
2019 Luís Alberto Urrea
2020 Lisa See

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucson, Arizona</span> City in Arizona, United States

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, and is home to the University of Arizona. It is the second-largest city in Arizona behind Phoenix, with a population of 542,629 in the 2020 United States census, while the population of the entire Tucson metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is 1,043,433. The Tucson MSA forms part of the larger Tucson-Nogales combined statistical area. Both Tucson and Phoenix anchor the Arizona Sun Corridor. The city is 108 miles (174 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 mi (97 km) north of the United States–Mexico border. Tucson is the 34th-largest city and the 53rd-largest metropolitan area in the United States (2014).

A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers' festival, is a regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city. A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings by authors, as well as other events, delivered over a period of several days, with the primary objectives of promoting the authors' books and fostering a love of literature and writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Library of Philadelphia</span> Public library system in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves Philadelphia. It is the 13th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the City of Philadelphia governed by an independent Board of Trustees as per the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation is a separate 501c3 non-profit with its own board of directors and serves to support the mission of the Free Library of Philadelphia through philanthropic dollars.

Lisa Frank is an American businesswoman, the founder of Lisa Frank Incorporated, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. She is known for producing whimsical commercial design for school supplies and other products that are primarily marketed to children.

KOLD-TV is a television station in Tucson, Arizona, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television, which provides certain services to Fox affiliate KMSB and MyNetworkTV affiliate KTTU under a shared services agreement (SSA) with Tegna Inc. The three stations share studios on North Business Park Drive on the northwest side of Tucson. KOLD-TV's primary transmitter is atop Mount Bigelow, with a secondary transmitter atop the Tucson Mountains west of the city to fill in gaps in coverage.

<i>Arizona Daily Star</i> Newspaper in Tucson

The Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalina Foothills High School</span> Public school in Catalina Foothills, Arizona, United States

Catalina Foothills High School is a public high school, located in the upscale suburban community of Catalina Foothills, just north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is the only high school in the Catalina Foothills School District, located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Founded in 1992, the school now serves approximately 1,650 students in grades nine through twelve. The school mascot is the peregrine falcon, and the school colors are blue and silver. Based on the percentage of students passing or exceeding Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards standardized test, Catalina Foothills is one of the top high schools in the state. Annually, Catalina Foothills averages over 10 National Merit Finalists.

University High School (UHS) is an accelerated public high school located in Tucson, Arizona. Originally known as Special Projects High School (SPHS), University High School is in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). The mission statement of UHS identifies it as "a special function high school which serves students who are academically focused and intellectually gifted and provides curriculum and social support not offered in the comprehensive high school."

Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) is the largest school district of Tucson, Arizona, in terms of enrollment. Dr. Gabriel Trujillo is the superintendent, appointed on September 12, 2017 by the Governing Board. As of 2016, TUSD had more than 47,670 students. As of Fall 2012, according to Superintendent John Pedicone, TUSD had 50,000 students. District enrollment has declined over the last 10 years and TUSD lost 1,700 to 2,000 students per year for the two or three years prior to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Olivas</span> American author and attorney (born 1959)

Daniel Anthony Olivas is an American author and attorney.

Ofelia Zepeda is a Tohono O'odham poet and intellectual. She is Regents' Professor of Tohono O'odham language and linguistics and Director of the American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI) at The University of Arizona. Zepeda is the editor for Sun Tracks, a series of books that focuses on the work of Native American artists and writers, published by the University of Arizona Press.

The University of Arizona Poetry Center in Tucson, Arizona, is among the most extensive collections of contemporary poetry in the United States. It is the largest such collection which is "open shelf."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Lancaster</span> American water management expert, author and permaculture teacher

Brad Stewart Lancaster is an expert in the field of rainwater harvesting and water management. He is also a permaculture teacher, designer, consultant and co-founder of Desert Harvesters, a non-profit organization.

Kore Press is an American nonprofit literary press founded in 1993 and located in Tucson, Arizona. The press publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by women, transgender or gender non-conforming women. Kore Press's output includes books, audio CDs, and broadsides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demion Clinco</span> American politician

Demion Clinco is an American politician, historic preservationist, philanthropist, and business leader from the state of Arizona. Clinco's social innovation included reestablishing the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in 2008 and launching Tucson Modernism Week in 2012 and work in the higher-education sector. A member of the Democratic Party, Clinco served in the Arizona House of Representatives, as a member for the second district until 2015. In December 2015 Clinco was appointed to the Governing Board of Pima Community College. Clinco was elected in 2016 to serve a full term and in January 2018 was elected chairman of the college's Governing Board. Under Clinco's leadership the college initiated large-scale bond projects focusing on workforce development and career technical education. During this period the college underwent a significant educational and physical transformation with the construction of major buildings including Centers of Excellence in applied technology, advanced manufacturing, automotive, aviation, and allied health. In 2019 Clinco relaunched and led the reorganization of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees serving as the president. Clinco has served on numerous local, statewide, national and international boards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Loft Cinema</span> Movie theater in Tucson, Arizona

The Loft Cinema is a nonprofit art house cinema located in Tucson, Arizona. The Loft Cinema screens first-run independent American and foreign films and documentaries, as well as classic art films and special events. The theatre has 3 screens with a seating capacity that ranges from 90 to 370. The largest auditorium is equipped with reel-to-reel 35 mm and 70 mm projectors, in addition to a digital projector and was renovated in 2017 to be fully accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book fairs in South Africa</span>

Book fairs and literary festivals are held throughout South Africa each year to promote literacy among children and adults. A country's literacy rate is often a key social indicator of development. In 2005, UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported a literacy rate of 94.37% among the population aged 15 years and older. The literacy rate among the male population in this age group was 95.4% and 93.41 for female counterparts. According to Statistics South Africa, functional illiteracy among those aged 20 years or older, was recorded at 15.4% in 2005. This has improved from 2002's 27.3%. Women are more likely to be functionally illiterate across all age groups, apart from those aged between 20 and 39 years old.

Pride in the Desert is the annual LGBTQ pride event for Tucson, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Cain</span> American writer

Shannon Cain is an American writer, editor, teacher, visual artist, and activist living in France. She is the founder of La Maison Baldwin, an organization that celebrates the life of James Baldwin in Saint-Paul de Vence. Cain authored the short story collection The Necessity of Certain Behaviors, winner of the 2011 Drue Heinz Literature Prize.

Lydia R. Otero is an Chicanx/Latinx historian and author. They are known for their work on marginalized communities in Arizona.

References

  1. "History and Festival Founders". tucsonfestivalofbooks.org. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  2. "10th Annual Tucson Festival of Books". visittucson.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  3. "Tucson Festival of Books". pw.org. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  4. "Frequently Asked Questions". tucsonfestivalofbooks.org. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  5. "The 2018 Tucson Festival of Books". authorhouse.com. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  6. "Tucson Festival of Books Is an Economic Powerhouse". tucson.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  7. "Tucson Festival of Books". c-span.org. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  8. Knott, Gloria (March 10, 2020). "Coronavirus fears force cancellation of Tucson Festival of Books". Arizona Daily Star . Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  9. "Tucson Festival of Books | Tucson Festival of Books Announces March 2021 All Virtual Festival". tucsonfestivalofbooks.org. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Tucson Festival of Books Digital Toolkit". Tucson Festival of Books. Tucson Festival of Books. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  11. Coile, Norma (10 March 2018). "At Tucson Book Festival, acclaimed authors reflect on finding voice, including 'me too'". Tucson Festival of Books. Tucson Festival of Books. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  12. "Get ready to celebrate at the Tucson Festival of Books". Tucson.com. Arizona Daily Star. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  13. Eubank, Johanna. "Author Lisa See will receive the 2020 Tucson Festival of Books Founders Award". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2020-02-26.