The highly anticipated BAM! Festival returns on April 13, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, located at 411 Clematis Street. This free, family-friendly event celebrates books and the authors and illustrators who create them through author readings, book signings, and a series of author/illustrator-led workshops, panels, and discussions. For more information and a complete BAM! Festival schedule, visit bamwpb.org.
"BAM! Festival is a free community event where children and young adults can engage with some of the nation's finest children's authors and illustrators. The festival fosters children's literacy through interactive panels and workshops, nurturing a love for reading and writing," said Emily Hightower, BAM! Festival's Marketing Director.
BAM! Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering children's literacy and community engagement. Since its inception in 2011, the festival has served over 166,000 local youth and donated over 3,500 books.
Attendees of all ages can expect diverse activities throughout the day, including author readings, writing workshops, illustrator demonstrations, competitions, and more. A festival highlight is the engaging one-hour workshops and panels facilitated by authors and illustrators. These interactive sessions cater to various age groups and interests, ranging from the Illustrator Smackdown, where authors and illustrators engage in live-action drawing competitions, to workshops addressing contemporary themes such as mental health and social justice. The BAM! Festival Flash Fiction Challenge is a free writing contest where the winner works with author Stephen Kozan to write, edit, and publish their own book.
2024 guest authors and presenters include Aaron Aceves, David Arnold, Germán Blanco, Henry Cole, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, C.G. Esperanza, Bob Forbes, Lamar Giles, Vashti Harrison, Maria Ingrande Mora, George M. Johnson, Danielle Joseph, Daniel José Older, Karen Kilpatrick, Stephen Kozan, Megan Lacera, Jorge Lacera, Jamiel Law, Racquel Marie, Carmen Oliver, Kerry O'Malley Cerra, James Ponti, Jill Ross Nadler, Eliot Schrefer, Neal Shusterman, Ana Siqueira, Stacy Stokes, Nic Stone, Chris Tebbetts, Jenna Voris, Tyler Whitesides, Brittany N. Williams, and Sherri Winston.
About BAM! Festival of Palm Beach County:
BAM! Festival brings together authors, artists, musicians, teachers, students, and the community to share their love of books, art, and music. Founded in 2011, BAM! Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to children's literacy that has served over 166,000 local youth and families. All proceeds support children's literacy, fund author visits to schools, provide Title I schools with books, and provide scholarship opportunities for writers. BAM! Festival's mission is to provide a county-wide literary experience that brings together authors, teachers, students, families, and the community to share their love of books which will, in turn, promote literacy, encourage fellowship through education, exercise young minds with discussion, and inspire youth to reach high. Originally titled "April is for Authors," the event was re-branded "BAM! Festival" in 2018 to include books, art, and music. The festival is free, and the organization provides buses to families from underserved areas. For more information, visit https://www.bamwpb.org.
