Never judge a book by its movie.

J. W. Eagan

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Alabama Book Festival Catches Pearl and a Big Fish

MONTGOMERY, Ala.--The Alabama Book Festival slated for April 17 at Old Alabama Town has extended the event an extra hour to accommodate two big names in the literary world who have just been signed to the festival: Pearl Cleage and Daniel Wallace.

Pearl CleagePearl Cleage is a legendary author and playwright who catapulted to fame when her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, became an Oprah Book club selection in 1998 and was listed on the New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks. Her latest play, The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at the Celebration of Their First 100 Years, opens at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in September.

Daniel WallaceDaniel Wallace's first novel, Big Fish, also achieved enormous success upon publication in 1998. It was turned into a major motion picture directed by Tim Burton and starring Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup and Jessica Lange. It was shot entirely in Alabama, mostly in Montgomery and Wetumpka.

Both authors have published extensively since the success of their first novels. They will be speaking, meeting fans and signing books at the Alabama Book Festival on April 17. Cleage will be speak 3:30-4:30 p.m., while Wallace will take the stage 4-5 p.m. The free public event was originally planned to end at 4 p.m., but was extended to make room for these renowned authors.

“We are thrilled to have added Pearl and Daniel to the author line-up, so much so that we added another hour to the program,” said Ashley Gordon, head of author selection for the festival. “Daniel is such a favorite in Montgomery and after Pearl's play debuts at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, we are sure she will be one as well.”

Other authors attending the festival include Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg, 2010 Harper Lee Award recipient Carolyn Haines, and Alabama Poet Laureate Sue Brannan Walker. For a complete list of participants, visit www.alabamabookfestival.org.

Sponsors of the Alabama Book Festival include the Alabama Humanities Foundation, Alabama Library Association, Alabama Public Television, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Writers’ Forum, Capitol Book and News, Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities at Auburn University, City of Montgomery, LWT Communications, Montgomery City-County Library System, Montgomery Prime, Montgomery Parents, NewSouth Books, Old Alabama Town/Landmarks Foundation, Regions Bank, River City Publishing, and Troy State University-Montgomery. 

Media Contact

Buffy Lockette
334-240-4617
b.lockette@oldalabamatown.com 

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