Decatur Book Festival Turns 21

The Decatur Book Festival is returning for its 21st year, and that means it's time to celebrate. The Festival is taking place across 11 different stages, and will be featuring best-selling authors like Brian Goldstone, who is giving the keynote address on Friday the 2nd, Tomi Adeyemi, Tayari Jones, and many more. Eagle Eye will also be returning to the festival as a vendor this year! You'll be able to catch us on the lawn of the First Baptist Church of Decatur, where we'll be peddling all sorts of books and other bookish goodies.

Speaking of the First Baptist Church, we will be the designated bookseller's for all of the talks happening within it on Saturday, October 3rd. This includes both the Sanctuary and Carreker Hall, and between the two stages there's sure to be an author or two you'll want to hear from.

The Sanctuary at First Baptist is one of the largest venues at the festival, and throughout the day it will be host to interesting authors writing across all sorts of genres. Tomi Adeyemi will be kicking things off on Saturday with a discussion of her new novel, The Siren. After her, Arthur Sze, the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate, will take the stage. He will be discussing poetry in translation, as well as his book, Transient Worlds. Next on the docket are Kristen Kobes Du Mez and Robert P. Jones, who will be discussing the state of Christianity in America. Kristen's new book, Live Laugh Love, examines the current culture of white Christian femininity, while Robert's book, Backslide, inspects how Christianity has played a role in rising anti-Democratic sentiments. Chai Pani's Meherwan Irani will be spicing things up in the sanctuary afterwards with his new cookbook, No. 1 BEST INDIAN COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD! He'll be giving the inside scoop on some of his recipes, while also giving insights into grocery shopping & other techniques you can take home with you. Closing out the Sanctuary is award-winning, best-selling author Tayari Jones, whose new book Kin has been a block-buster success this summer. 

That alone was a bit of a doozy, but there will be even more authors speaking down in Carreker Hall through the day. Traditionally, the book festival has used that space for its cooking demonstrations, but this year it will be home to authors who write genre fiction. From mysteries to romance to horror and everything in between, there's sure to be a panel for whatever flavor of fiction you prefer. Tara Goedjen, Meredith Lavender, and Kendall Shores will be opening the day with a thrilling discussion about... thrillers! Madeline Martin will be up next to discuss her book, A Time of Witches. This multi-generational tale of witches in Georgia mixes fantasy and history, but you'll have to come on down to see just how it does so. The magic continues with the next two authors, Bel Banta and Nghi Vo, at their Courts, Ballrooms, and Bloodshed panel. Their titles, The Court of Venus and The Scarlett Ball, both deal with the political machinations of magical hierarchical organizations and the beautiful facades they hide behind. Things will take a scary turn afterwards, as Mary Berman & Sarah Langan take the stage to talk horror. Their titles deal with modern femininity, and the horror than can pervade the expectations society places on women. 

The next two authors, Natalia Hernandez and M.K. Lobb, will keep you on the edge of your seat, but you can rest assured knowing there will be a happy ending in their Adventure Romances'. Natalia's The Lost Guardian takes us on an archeological expedition, while M.K.'s The Dark in Her Veins follows a hit-woman whose time may be running out, but both feature enterprising women who are in for more than they've bargained for, both professionally and romantically. Finally, Emma R. Alban and Katie Jung will be closing out the proceedings in Carreker with ghost romances. Both authors' books feature ghosts in romantic leads, so this panel should definitely bring you back to life after a long day at the Book Festival!

That covers all of the authors we'll be selling books for at the Decatur Book Festival this year. It's set to be a long day, but we look forward to seeing you all there! If you aren't able to make it down on Saturday, be sure to stop by the store for signed copies of all of the aforementioned titles. We may have some of their other books signed too! 

Banned Books Week: Let Freedom Read

Who’s to Say What You Should and Shouldn’t Read? With Banned Books Week October 4 - 10, we’re talking about banned books!  

The official theme for the week is Let Books Be. Protect the freedom to read. The focus is on “highlighting the freedom to seek and express ideas, and bring national attention to the harms of censorship” in support of librarians, teachers, writers, and booksellers.

How many banned books have you read? According to the American Library Association, some of the most challenged books include titles such as Sold by Patricia McCormick, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, and many others. Some banned classic titles include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, 1984 by George Orwell, and more. In addition to the books listed here, Eagle Eye Book Shop also has some banned book merchandise as well. 

Some of the reasons books may be banned stem from recurring themes such as LGBTQIA, sexual content, social and political themes, profanity, worldview objections, and more. 

Why is it important to fight against the banning of books? The fight against the banning of books protects intellectual freedom, upholds our constitutional rights, and ensures that everyone has open access to diverse ideas and history.

Local Banned Books Week events include the following:

East Atlanta Library Banned Book Club is holding a “Choose Your Own Adventure” event at 6 p.m. on October 6. Participants will choose and read any challenged book and then will gather with local readers for a community-led discussion.

Virginia Highland Church Banned Book Club has structured meetings where participants discuss and analyze literature that has faced opposition or censorship.

And you can also join Georgia Advocacy and Activism Groups such as the ACLU of Georgia and the Georgia Coalition Against Classroom Censorship to make a difference when it comes to the banning and censorship of books. 

Banned Books Week is organized by the American Library Association, Pen America, The Banned Books Week Coalition and other partners like Unite Against Book Bans. For more information, visit bannedbooksweek.org.