Book Festival

Every year the first weekend of November reminds Wisconsinites, that winter is near. The blustery chill wind blows the few remnant leaves off the near bare trees. Often there is a gray drizzle to add to the charm. Against these late autumn conditions authors and readers from all over Wisconsin venture to the SouthEastern Wisconsin Book Festival.
This is truly a gem for the serious bibliophile, that goes largely undiscovered. I have been attending for the last 4 years and I am happy to report that it is growing. The festival is held on the UW-Waukesha campus the first Friday and Saturday of November. They always have keynote speakers that are of national acclaim. In addition, there are many authors anywhere along the continuum of novice to best-seller. Hourly presentations by authors and publishers throughout the two days interest both fledgling writers and curious readers. There are booths of book related interests throughout the hallways. Of course there are books to buy and discover.
Each year that I attend I come away with valuable tidbits in the book world. This is a potential treasure for a teacher looking to connect their students to cutting edge books and authors. Anyone wanting to dip a toe into the writing world or someone that needs encouragement in their writing journey would be well-served to attend this event . One year I attended the presentation by the “Little Free Library” group and obtained the inspiration and the how-to plans to sponsor one of these treasure boxes on the grounds of a local elementary school. This year I dropped in on a panel of Fantasy writers discussing the cultural ramifications of Faeries. The discussion was far more interesting than you might think.
Whatever your interest in books, this hidden gem in Waukesha County is worth discovery.
The South Eastern Wisconsin Book Festival.