Last weekend, I attended the Colorado Book & Arts Festival. This was the first year that the event was held, and I must say that I had such a wonderful time.
The festival took place at the Arvada Center, which is a local performing arts venue, and was a one-day event. The main attraction was the keynote speaker, Peng Shepherd, who wrote The Book of M. I wasn't familiar with Shepherd or her book, but once I heard her talk, I immediately brought the book on the spot and had her sign it. The book is a post-apocalyptic novel about how a disease that steals people's memories is running rampant.
Eleanor Brown, author of The Light of Paris (which I just recently read) and The Weird Sisters, interviewed Shepherd during the keynote, and I think that's why I really enjoyed it because it was nice to see two authors conversing with one another. Their appreciation for reading and writing was apparent, and certainly made me feel right at home. Plus, Brown has such an extroverted personality that she had us all laughing.
Even though this festival was small, I was impressed by the amount of vendors, authors, and workshops that it offered. Colorado, and Denver in particular, is becoming a large and popular place, so to see events like this occurring is a great sign. I hope that this festival continues to grow, and becomes a permanent feature because Colorado has a lot of festivals, but certainly lacks one that is book-related. There is no doubt that I'll be back next year if the event is held again.