Printers Row Lit Fest, one of the largest and oldest literary festivals in the United States, will welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, poets laureate, and will showcase some of Chicago's finest writers. The weekend book fair and literary festival attracts over 100,000 visitors annually. It runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 8, in Printers Row Historic District in downtown Chicago. Admission to all programs is free of charge. Lit Fest offers nearly 80 programs on seven stages featuring over 200 presenters.
CHICAGO, Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Printers Row Lit Fest, one of the largest and oldest literary festivals in the United States, will welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, poets laureate, and will showcase some of Chicago's finest writers.
The weekend book fair and literary festival attracts over 100,000 visitors annually. It runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 8, in Printers Row Historic District in downtown Chicago. Admission to all programs is free of charge. Lit Fest offers nearly 80 programs on seven stages featuring over 200 presenters.
Programs include the following special presentations, highlighting the work of some of Chicago's finest investigative reporters.
"Missing Black Women in Chicago" will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalists Sarah Conway of City Bureau and Trina Reynolds-Tyler of Invisible Institute, alongside Jamie Nesbitt Golden of Block Club Chicago. They will be joined in conversation with Olivia Obineme of Public Narrative.
Erisa Apantaku, Sarah Geis, Bill Healy, and Yohance Lacour, co-creators of the Peabody Award-winning podcast called "You Didn't See Nothin" will be in conversation with moderator Audrey Petty. The podcast, a production of the Invisible Institute and USG Audio, also received the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting.
For those interested in hearing poetry, Lit Fest will feature four poets laureate this year. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and U.S. Poet Laureate (1993-95) Rita Dove will be interviewed by poet Elise Paschen. Dove is also a 2017 Harold Washington Literary Award winner. Additional poets reading their work include Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. Poet Laureate (2017-19) and Lit Fest Headliner Tracy K. Smith, Madison, Wisconsin Poet Laureate (2020-24) Angela C. Trudell Vasquez, and Chicago's Inaugural Poet Laureate avery r. young. Lit Fest is excited to add a seventh stage this year at Jazz Showcase where poet Diego Báez will lead a bilingual Latinx poetry reading with poets Luz Magdaleno Flores, Marcy Rae Henry, Jacob Saenz, Jose-Luis Moctezuma, Pablo Ramirez and Marisa Tirado.
Foodies will want to head to Center stage on Saturday for a program presented by the Chicago Public Library, featuring Kevin Pang, author of "A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes From China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese)" who will be in conversation with Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu. Named a Best Cookbook of 2023 by the New York Times and Serious Eats, Pang, a James Beard Award-winner, and his father, Jeffrey, share slices of the family's life in Hong Kong to readers along with recipes for the at-home chef in this accessible, funny, and heartfelt work.
Lit Fest will shine the spotlight on a series of upcoming panel discussions celebrating the legacy of influential Chicago figures, from legendary newspaper columnist Mike Royko to Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks, while highlighting the cultural contributions of Black Chicagoans.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, the incisive and humorous Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko made it his mission to show the many facets of Chicago politics inside the pages of The Chicago Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune. WGN-AM radio personality Rick Kogan will moderate a panel discussion about the late columnist which will include Judy Royko, Bill Savage, Northwestern University professor and co-curator of the exhibit "Chicago Style: Mike Royko and Chicago Journalism," and Mitchell Bisschop, writer and performer of "Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago."
Arionne Nettles, university lecturer, culture reporter, and author of "We Are the Culture: Black Chicago's Influence on Everything," will participate in a panel discussion: "Learning, Teaching, and Celebrating Black History in Chicago." Nettle's book examines how Black Chicagoans have led pop culture through the decades.
"Annie Allen," written by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author Gwendolyn Brooks, is approaching its 75th anniversary. The acclaimed book of poetry made Brooks the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize. Nora Brooks Blakely, daughter of Brooks and founder of Brooks Permissions, will discuss the work's modern relevance and contemporary ideas with Reginald Gibbons of Northwestern University. Poetry Magazine Editor Adrian Matejka will moderate the program.
New York Times bestselling authors will take the stage at Printers Row Lit Fest to discuss their latest works. Luis Urrea brings us "Good Night, Irene," a story chronicling a young woman's heroic service in the Red Cross during WWII. Chicago author Daniel Kraus presents a spine-tingling tale in "Pay The Piper," a book set against the dark and frightening backdrop of a cursed Louisiana bayou with a supernatural swamp creature preying on youngsters. Claire Lombardo's "Same As It Ever Was" examines the rocky path of real life from the viewpoint of a mother and wife in her mid-50s. Shawntelle Madison combines history and fantasy in her upcoming book "The Fallen Fruit" where a woman travels through time to destroy a family curse plaguing her ancestors for generations. Daniel Schulman tells the story of German-Jewish immigrants with names of Goldman, Sachs, and Lehman making their financial mark on Wall Street in his book "The Money Kings."
National television lifestyle programs recommend specific works that readers should pick up from their libraries or bookstores. "Today's" Jenna Bush Hager names the following Lit Fest authors among her "Read with Jenna Book Club Picks": Bonnie Jo Campbell of "The Waters: A Novel," and Christina Henriquez of "The Great Divide." Samira Ahmed of "This Book Won't Burn" is a "Read with Jenna Jr. Pick" and a New York Times bestseller.
For over 25 years, Oprah continues to be a popular literary influencer as she introduces emerging nonfiction and fiction authors to readers worldwide. This year, she selects "A Kind of Madness" by Uche Onkonkwo as one of Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2024. Sarah Gerard's "Carrie Carolyn Coco: My Friend, Her Murder and an Obsession with the Unthinkable" is an Oprah Daily Best Book of the Summer."
These are only a few highlights of the 2024 Lit Fest. For more information about the programming schedule, visit this link.
Sponsors
Printers Row Lit Fest's major sponsors include the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, The Chicago Public Library Foundation, and ReadersMagnet. Event sponsors are NASCAR, Grace Episcopal Church, and Hotel Blake and Hilton Chicago. Media sponsors are the Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ 91.5 FM Chicago, Newsweb, and CSPAN.
About Printers Row Lit Fest
Printers Row Lit Fest, now in its 39th year, has become a cornerstone of the literary scene, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The Lit Fest takes place on South Dearborn Street from Ida B. Wells to Polk Streets in Chicago. As one of the largest literary festivals in the country, it offers an incredible platform for established and emerging authors to engage with their readers and discuss their latest works. For more information, visit https://printersrowlitfest.org/.
About the Producer, Near South Planning Board
Near South Planning Board (NSPB), a not-for-profit, community-based organization, has been serving businesses, institutions, and property owners since 1946. Their primary service area is Jackson Boulevard to the north, Dan Ryan to the west, 35th Street to the south, and Lake Michigan to the east. NSPB's mission is to plan, guide, and encourage a program of development for the near south area. In addition to the annual Printers Row Lit Fest, NSPB produces literary programs in Chicago Public Schools through its Authors in the Schools program and the Harold Washington Literary Award. As one of the City of Chicago's delegate agencies in the Neighborhood Business Development Center Program (NBDC), NSPB works to attract and retain businesses by serving as facilitator and providing resources, referrals, permit assistance, marketing, and other educational programs. For more information, visit this link.
Media Contact
Marie Lazzara, JJR Marketing, 630-400-3361, [email protected], https://jjrmarketing.com/
Jacqueline S. Ruiz, JJR Marketing, 630-441-6057, [email protected], https://jjrmarketing.com/
SOURCE Printers Row Lit Fest
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