Tucson Festival Of Books Canceled Amid Coronavirus Fears

TUCSON, AZ — The Board Of Directors of the Tucson Festival of Books announced on Monday that they have chosen to cancel the 2020 event after more than 100 authors canceled amid growing fears of the new coronavirus.

The Tucson Festival of Books was scheduled to take place on the University of Arizona campus from March 14-15.

"We know the Festival of Books brings much joy to many in our community as well as visitors from around the country," the festival staff wrote in a statement on its website. "Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation this year where we are unable to provide a quality festival for several reasons."

The mass cancellation of authors left the festival organizers unable to plan for author panels or communicate those changes effectively to the public.

Initially, the board had decided to make the 2020 festival a "touch free" festival, meaning that there would be no shaking hands, hugs or taking selfies with the authors. However, the plan was eventually scrapped as the concerns surrounding the coronavirus continued to grow in Arizona.

As of Tuesday morning, six cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Arizona.

"We realize that this change in course is significant for the Tucson community, our financial supporters, exhibitors, food vendors and other partners. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with you over the next few weeks on sorting through the ramifications of this difficult decision," the festival staff wrote in the statement.

The Board of Directors of the Tucson Festival of Books ended its cancellation announcement by thanking the public, supporters and volunteers who were part of the festival for their commitment to supporting literacy.