Emmanuel Johnson
For many bookworms, meeting one of their favorite authors would be an amazing experience. For Mr. Wyler, that opportunity came at the annual Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he met author Elizabeth Acevedo and got a copy of her newest novel, Anger is Only a Shadow, signed.
Mr. Wyler has been attending the Bookmarks Festival for around 10 to 15 years. He first found out about Acevedo when he read The Poet X around the time it was released in 2018. After that, he has read three of her four previous books and plans to read her newest book, Anger Is Only a Shadow.
When Mr. Wyler met Acevedo, the line was extremely long. He arrived early and managed to get a spot only about 10 to 15 people from the front. After getting her signature, the first thing he was thinking was that he wished he had brought copies of her other books to have signed as well.
On Mr. Weyler’s to do list for the festival was to get a signed copy of an Acevedo book for Mrs. Larking. He knew she taught the novel, The Poet X, and remembered that she could not attend the festival because of a tennis event. Since he was already going, he offered to get the book signed for her. He ended up purchasing Acevedo’s newest novel and asking her to sign it for Mrs. Larking.
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Acevedo wasn't the only author Mr. Wyler got to see. He also attended a talk featuring Nicola Yoon, author of The Sun Is Also a Star, and Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give. He also mentioned hearing Kwame Alexander speak in person. Mr. Wyler connected these authors through their role in bringing narrative poetry into mainstream young adult and middle-grade literature.
Outside of the author talks and books, Mr. Wyler and his wife made a full day out of the festival. While he said there wasn't anything particularly “exciting” outside of the festival activities, he did mention enjoying Cuban food and maduros.
For Mr. Wyler, the Bookmarks Festival is more than just a place to buy books. It is an opportunity to hear authors speak, discover new stories, and share his love of reading with others.