BANGOR — The eighth annual Bangor Book Festival will kick off today, Thursday, Oct. 16 at the Bangor Public Library. This year’s abbreviated festival will be held in several downtown Bangor locations because of the Bangor Public Library’s renovations.
“The upcoming renovations at the library gave us the opportunity to reach out and re-imagine the Bangor Book Festival,” Gibran Graham, coordinator of the Bangor Book Festival, said of this year’s event. “Working with our community partners in downtown Bangor we are able to highlight those businesses and organizations while offering some fun and memorable literary programs.”
Kicking off with a book launch, the Bangor Book Festival will offer these programs:
• “The Essential Danby” by George Danby, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, Bangor Public Library.
With a keen eye and laugh-out loud wit, editorial cartoonist George Danby offers his unique perspective on the roller coaster that has been modern life and politics for the last few decades here in Maine and beyond. “The Essential Danby” is a retrospective that, for the first time ever, gathers in one volume a collection of editorial cartoons drawn from the artist’s archive of more than 25,000 cartoons.
• “Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland” by Josh Christie, 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, Nocturnem Draft Haus.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Maine was a stronghold for the temperance movement, but the Pine Tree State emerged from Prohibition to create a beer culture that rivals any other in the United States. Early pioneers, including D.L. Geary, established the Northeast’s love affair with English-style ales, and today’s upstarts brew unique and inventive recipes. Maine brewers create beer for every palate, and feature Maine’s unique flavors, such as blueberries, potatoes and even oysters. Maine beer expert Josh Christie discovers the story of brewing in Vacationland by exploring Maine’s large breweries, such as Shipyard; its local crafters, such as Rising Tide; the budding cider, spirits and mead industries; and the best places to drink beer across the state.
• Poetry Reading by the Norumbega Collective, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, Rock and Art Shop.
The Norumbega Collective is a group of literary-minded individuals who cultivate, create, plan and implement literary arts events in the Bangor area, including poetry, prose, performance and music. Past readers have included Brian Foley, Luke Bloomfield, Wendy Xu, Steve Benson, Emily Toder, Greg Howard, Alison Fraser, Megan London and Stefania Irene Marthakis.
• Great Bangor Draw-Off with Hazel Mitchell and Russ Cox, 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18,Maine Discovery Museum. Join two Maine illustrators while doing what they love to do — draw. The audience will pick the subjects as young enthusiasts see what “style” means. Hazel Mitchell’s passions when growing up were drawing and horses. She is originally from Scarborough in Yorkshire, UK. She moved to America in 2000 and now lives and works in Maine. She is an award-winning illustrator whose work can be seen in “1, 2, 3…By the Sea,” “One Word Pearl” “Imani’s Moon.”
Russ Cox was raised by a pack of crazed hillbillies in the backwoods of Tennessee. After graduating from art school with a portfolio in his hand, he ventured into the world of design and illustration. He opened his own studio, Smiling Otis Studio, where he specializes in illustration for children. He has illustrated several books for children including “Freddy the Frogcaster,” “Whatever Says Mark” written by Terry Collins, and “Nite Nite Soldier” by Michael and Beth Hofer. His latest novel, written by Lynn Plourde, “Merry Moosey Christmas” is available in November.
• “Leave Some for Seed” by Tom Hennessey, book signing, 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, Epic Sports. The latest publication from one of Maine’s most revered sporting artists and outdoorsmen, “Leave Some For Seed” is an illustrated celebration of the natural beauty and sporting legacy that provides the backbone of Maine’s cultural heritage. With words and pen-and-ink illustration, Tom Hennessey renders the charm, beauty and attraction of the outdoorsman’s life, while recounting tales from his own hunting and fishing adventures.
Books will be available for purchase at the various programs through the Briar Patch and authors. For information about the Bangor Book Festival, visit facebook.com/BangorBookFestival.