Those who enjoy perusing a thesaurus for fun, have spent time hovering over a keyboard in search for the perfect word or love locally-grown creative talent now have a conference to be amongst their own kind.
For The Love Of Words is the B.C. Interior Book Festival and Writers Conference being held in Penticton July 7 and 8 at the Okanagan College campus.
“I am hoping to showcase local authors, writers and book lovers at this event,” said organizer Yasmin John-Thorpe.
John-Thorpe was inspired to create the conference after attending something similar in Tuscon, Ariz. at the University of Arizona where she said over a million people attended over two days.
“It was unbelievable. We have the college right here in Penticton and I just needed to do this to help local authors sell books and local groups and book clubs to buy local authors. It also gives them the opportunity to get in-depth information about what they were thinking while writing the book,” said John-Thorpe.
On Saturday, the Penticton conference runs from 1 to 8 p.m. Some of the presenters include Lee Edward Fodi, a children’s author and illustrator, C. A. Land, a sci-fi/fantasy author, will be covering science fiction and fantasy world building and Mary Ann Thompson, a freelance editor. Angela Hook, a graphic design specialist, will be speaking on the topic of branding your book and yourself. Suzanne Anderson, a self-published author, will be presenting two speaking sessions on self publishing including is it the right choice for you and the 10 mistakes self-publishers make.
Another full day of speakers will occur on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Lorna Schultz-Nicholson, a fiction/creative non-fiction author, publisher Julie Salisbury, who will go through a simple step-by-step system to get your book organized and published and Darcy Nybo, a freelance editor/publisher, will present on how to discover your written voice and what’s in name.
John-Thorpe said these sessions are great for those who have always wanted to publish a book. Costs to attend vary between speakers.
“The traditional route of publishing a book is so hard. You get publishers who are sticking with their established writers and not taking chances because publishing is so expensive. But there is so much opportunity now for writers with Amazon and e-readers. So for the people who always wanted to publish this is cheap,” she said.
Authors will also set up on the lawn of the Penticton campus with their titles to greet book lovers. The public is welcome, free of cost, to peruse what the authors are offering.
Grades three and four students from the Penticton Christian School is putting together a children’s book about Okanagan pioneers they are hoping to publish.
The school will be running the coffee shop at the conference to raise money for the book. Money raised from the book sales will go towards building the school a gym.
More information about the festival and conference can be found at www.A2Zbooks.ca or at www.redtuquebooks.ca or by calling John-Thorpe at 250-492-0629.