Books in Bloom Sets Schedule of Readings on June 11

The Downtown Columbia Partnership in cooperation with the Howard County Library will present Books in Bloom, Columbia, Maryland’s inaugural book festival, on Sunday, June 11, noon-5 p.m., in Symphony Woods in Downtown Columbia.

Books in Bloom will bring together some of the country’s best and brightest writers. Readings, panel discussions, a poetry wall and pop-up bookstore by Politics & Prose are featured. The book festival will launch the Howard County Library’s summer reading program, Summer@Your Library, and will include crafts, games and activities for all ages.

Other attractions include musical entertainment, a pop-up bookstore provided by Politics & Prose, a Poetry Wall and Coloring Wall.

Food and beverages will be available for sale from a variety of vendors, including popular food trucks.

Presenting sponsor of Books in Bloom is The Howard Hughes Corporation. Gold Sponsor is the Columbia Association, Silver Sponsor is M&T Bank, and Bronze Sponsors are Harkins and Wells & Associates.

The festival is free and open to the public. Register at www.booksinbloom.eventbrite.com.

The schedule of readings and other activities includes:

Noon – Opening

12:15 – Mikita Brottman, Author Tent 3

Oh He Dead performance, Beer & Wine Garden

12:30 – Laurie Frankel, Author Tent 1

Katherine Heiny, Author Tent 2

Jerdine Nolen, Children’s Tent

1:00 – April Ryan and Michael Eric Dyson in conversation with DeRay McKesson, Chrysalis

1:15 – Feminism in Youth Adult Fiction Panel with Sonia Belasco, Christina June, Miranda Keannelly and Katy Upperman, Author Tent 3

1:20 – Oh He Dead performance, Beer & Wine Garden

1:30 – Eric Puchner, Author Tent 2

Karen Leggett Abouraya, Children’s Tent

2:00 – Summer Reading Panel with Tayla Burney, Carrie Callaghan, Petra Mayer and Mary McCauley, Author Tent 1

2:15 – Ursula Werner, Author Tent 3

2:30 – Karen Branan, Author Tent 2

David Ebershoff, Chrysalis

Mary Amato, Children’s Tent

2:45 – Jonny Grave performance, Beer & Wine Garden

3:15 – Jennifer Close, Author Tent 3

3:30 – Alec Ross in conversation with Brendan Bordelon, Author Tent 1

Ariel Winter, Author Tent 2

Debbie Levy, Children’s Tent

4:00 – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chrysalis

Jonny Grave performance, Beer & Wine Garden

5:00 Closing