The 2022 Gaithersburg Book Festival was a resounding success at its new location, Bohrer Park. It had far more shade and the tents seemed to be full from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
We had a lovely reception at Asbury Methodist Village for the authors and presenters, and I’ll share those photos here (Thanks to Photographer Bruce Guthrie!):
- Julia Kuo, Jenn Koiter, Courtney LeBlanc, Kristin Ferragut, Emily Perez
- Me, Cris, Shellie and her husband
- High School Poetry Final Judge Gregory Luce
- Poet and Moderator Fran Abrams
- Kristin Ferragut and friend
- Courtney LeBlanc, Me, and Cris
- Jenn Koiter
- Jay Hall Carpenter
- Jay Hall Carpenter and Kristin Ferragut
Here are some of the photos I took from the Edgar Allan Poe tent where the poetry programming was located.
We had 2 mixed genre panels as well — one with short stories (brilliant Tara Cambell’s Cabinet of Wrath) and poetry and another with nonfiction/memoir (brilliant Leslie Wheeler’s Poetry’s Possible Worlds) and poetry. (these are my own photos, except for the one with Jay Hall Carpenter, Lisa Stice, and Lucinda Marshall)
- Lesley Wheeler
- Jay Carpenter, Lisa Stice, Lucinda Marshall
- Courtney LeBlanc
- Kristin Ferragut
- Lesley Reading Useful Junk by Erika Meitner
- Emily Perez & Meg Eden
- Jenn Koiter, Tara Campbell, Laura Costas
- Alan King, Luther Jett, Gregory Luce
- Indran Amirthanayagam
We also announced the winners of the High School Poetry Contest. While the first and second place winners were not available for the ceremony, we did have a good crowd with the third place winner and the other honorable finalists.
Gaithersburg Book Festival High School Poetry Contest Winners and Finalists 2022 (taken by city staff)
GIVEAWAY:
Win a package of poetry books from the book festival. The books are:
- Inheritance of Aging Self by Lucinda Marshall (my review)
- Exquisite Bloody, Beating Heart by Courtney LeBlanc (my review)
- Little Wars by W. Luther Jett (my review)
- Poetry’s Possible Worlds by Lesley Wheeler (she was a phenomenal speaker and I plan to read my copy later this year)
- Riffs & Improvisations by Gregory Luce (my review)
Deadline to enter is June 3, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST. You must be 18 years old and up to enter.
Leave a comment below with your email to be entered
An amazing collection!
Great collection!
These books sound like great read!
Thank you Lindsay for entering. You are the winner. I’ve emailed you so we can get the books to you.
I had fun despite it being way too hot and not being able to stay the whole day. You all did a great job!
I hope it was well received.