Miami Book Fair Marks Its Annual Return, Nov. 13-20
The 39th annual rendition of the Miami Book Fair will host more than 100 renowned authors from across the globe at Wolfson Campus from Nov. 13–20.
“Every year it’s a completely different Book Fair,” said MBF Director of Programs Lissette Mendez. “There are different conversations to be had, different books to read and different authors to meet.”
Writers, journalists, and poets set to appear include famous actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, former New York Times reporter and civil rights activist Charlayne Hunter-Gault and award-winning Indian American author and poet Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni.
Also featured will be prominent figures in the music industry such as “punk poet laureate” Patti Smith and New York City-based rapper and producer Jose “Fat Joe” Cartagena.
The popular Evenings With series will include former Saturday Night Live comedian Kevin Nealon, former University of Miami, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins football coach Jimmy Johnson and Pulitzer prize-winning physician, biologist and author Siddhartha Mukherjee.
For the first time in its history, the Book Fair will host ReadingEast—a program exploring Middle Eastern and South Asian culture through conversations with fiction, nonfiction and poetry authors.
It will include speakers such as Iranian-American scholar and Emmy-and Peabody-nominated producer Reza Aslan and Bangladeshi-American poet and writer Anuradha Bhowmik.
“This is one of our goals,” Mendez said. “To make sure people in Miami are in touch with what’s going on around the world.”
Aimed at Miami’s Hispanic community, the IberoAmerican Program will present panel events showcasing Spanish-speaking presenters. Presenters include famous Colombian musician Juanes and Cuban exiled journalist Carlos Alberto Montaner.
Former Ecuadorian president Jamil Mahuad, who was ousted from power during a military revolt in 2000, will speak about the dollarization of his country’s economy during his tenure as head of state.
The ReadCaribbean series will present reading discussions, workshops and children’s programming that explores the Caribbean Diaspora.
Culminating the festivities will be the popular three-day Street Fair that will take place from Nov. 18-20. Hosted at Wolfson Campus from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. it will showcase books, handmade goods and live music. Admission will be free for everyone on Nov. 18.
Featured attractions at the Street Fair include The Children’s Alley, which will host activities such as arts and crafts, storytelling, plays and musical performances.
Artists such as DJ Carlos Menendez, the Miami Beach Rock Ensemble and electro-funk band Sol and The Tribu will be featured at The Off The Shelf music festival at Kyriakides Place on NE 1st Ave. Musical performances will take place throughout the three-day Street Fair
On Nov. 19 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Off The Shelf will host a poetry panel featuring presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco, award-winning writer Sandra Cisneros and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Miami Dade College students, faculty and staff can attend the Street Fair for free by using their MDC ID. Entrance fees for non-MDC attendees are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors; children under 12 are admitted for free.
To purchase tickets, click here. Customers who use the code STUDENT at checkout will receive a full discount for single-day tickets.
“Books and reading are important in everyone’s life to be able to grow, learn and feel part of the human family,” Mendez said.
To view a detailed guide of the Book Fair, click here. For more information, contact (305) 237-3528 or wbookfair@mdc.edu.
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