Napa Valley Book Festival

Uncork your next great read at the Napa Valley Book Festival, Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presented by the Napa Valley Writers, the free festival will feature over 50 authors, speaker presentations, a children’s story hour, independent bookstores, an open mic, and a myriad of literary participants. The community event will take place at the Blue Oak School gym, on the corner of Clay and Seminary Streets in downtown Napa.

This year’s expanded Book Festival marks the second year Napa Valley Writers has offered the literary event to the public. After attending the Sacramento Book Festival earlier this year, which featured over 250 authors, Napa Valley Writers President Yvonne Baginski felt the Napa club should increase author participation during its upcoming fall festival.

According to Baginski, “The Napa Valley and surrounding North Bay are home to a multitude of authors. We should be supportive by giving them a platform to promote their work within our community.”

Showcasing a diverse range of genres from children’s literature to fantasy to memoir to speculative fiction, book lovers will enjoy meeting authors from around the Bay Area. Interested in the craft of writing? Representatives from the Northen California Chapters of Mystery Writers of America, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Sisters in Crime will provide writing resources and information. Local independent bookstore favorites Napa Bookmine and Copperfield’s Books will be in attendance, as well as the Napa Valley Library. Books That Save Lives, an independent book publisher, willoffer impactful non-fiction and self-help books.

Morning events kickoff with children’s story hour at 10:15 a.m. featuring Maria Castellucci Moore, author of You Yoga: Finding Your Inner Shine, followed by Claudette Shatto reading from her newly published book The Gratitude Rock. The hour ends with author John Petraglia reading Featherstorm: A Holiday Adventure. The story hour is geared toward children aged four to nine-years-old.

When a doctor saves your life, twice, and you promise him you’ll write a book about it, you do it. Tom Stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle outdoors writer emeritus and American’s most traveled outdoorsman will discuss his latest book Heaven Delayed: One Man’s Survival of Sixteen Near-Death Encounters at 11:15 a.m. The memoir, which chronicles his extraordinary adventures and life-changing experiences, was published earlier this year.

According to the book’s editor, “Stienstra had three events where his life stopped before doctors brought him back. Amid the cessations, he experienced visions of heaven. In two cases, he was visited from friends long passed, who gave him advice and instructions for when he returned to life. Even devout believers often wonder if there is a heaven. This book helps answer that question.”

Stienstra’s first near-death experience took place in 1975 when he was attacked during a late-night robbery and hit in the head with a hatchet.

“The biggest effect the attack had on me was to never again settle for anything less than what I want,” Stienstra said when asked about the traumatic incident. “Don’t put your life on hold for anything.”

Rex Pickett, the critically acclaimed author of Sideways, is the festival’s keynote speaker. During his presentation “The Fiction Writing Process: From the Blank Page to Publication,” Pickett will share insights on finding an original voice, navigating rejection, and persevering through the publishing process. He draws from his own experiences as the author of Sideways, which was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film, three Sideways sequels, and his thriller The Archivist.

When asked which of the four books in the Sideways series is Pickett’s favorite, as one would expect, its the first, even though it was a very personal account of his life as a struggling author. According to Pickett, the book, and subsequent movie, worked so well because he wrote about his real life relying on drama and comedy. The combination resonated with readers and film goers.

“To sell despair, you have to make it funny,” Pickett said in an interview.” As an author, he wanted to find his own voice and feels it broke through in Sideways. When he speaks to aspiring writers, Pickett’s advice on developing a unique voice is to start following and study authors that writers resonate with and feel they can learn from. His keynote speech begins at 1 p.m. Both authors will be available for Q & A and to autograph books immediately following their presentations.

Working on a story, poem or song? Festival attendees are invited to participate in the event during an afternoon open mic, where all ages are encouraged to share their prose, poetry, or musical talents from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Participants will have five minutes to perform in a classroom setting.

Festival goers can visit a free book table where author Cinder Shine Ernst will offer copies of her book Terminally Smiling: Joy That Lifts Even When Life Grounds You, while supplies last. Books and Blocks, an independent bookseller from Cotai, will also offer a selection of free books for readers of all ages. Stop by their table and ask to peruse their little red wagon.

Food truck offerings, coffee and wine will be available throughout the day for attendees to enjoy at picnic tables located in Blue Oak School’s outdoor courtyard. Free parking is available at the Clay Street Garage.

Visit napavalleywriters.org for detailed event information.