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Favorite authors: Meet local wordsmiths who pen stories you adore at book fair

BY LINDA TARR KENT | FOR THE OLYMPIAN • Published April 16, 2009

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Children and adults will have the chance to meet 36 South Sound authors this weekend - all under one roof - at the first Olympia Book and Author Fair at the Olympia Timberland Regional Library.

On Friday evening, authors will visit with folks and sign books; on Saturday, the event includes talks and readings by authors.

Adults will be able to find authors who have written in adventure, romance, fantasy and other fiction genres as well as on nonfiction topics such as food, how-to and even bird-watching instruction, said Leann Ingle, communications specialist for Timberland Regional Libraries.

Ingle said the participating authors range from self-published to those who work with national publishing houses.

“There are three professors with very substantive books,” Ingle said, along with history writers such as Ann Wendell, who penned “Frederick & Nelson (Images of America: Washington).”

“People who are interested in certain subject areas like history ... can get deeper,” Ingle said. “They can do their own mini interview and find out what was behind writing those books.”

Kids and teens can meet authors such as Jan Pierson, who wrote “Haunted Horse of Gold Hill” and “All in a Day” author Nikki McClure.

Ingle said it’s a great chance for kids to learn how books are written and illustrated. “Just like knowing where the milk came from, this is where the book came from,” Ingle said.

That goes for adults too, said local author Wilfried Lippmann of Olympia, who initiated the idea for the book fair. He has published seven books and won awards for his novels.

“People will be amazed at the sincerity with which authors buckle down to write,” he said. “It is obvious that theirs is a labor of love. People can talk to authors about the specifics of the books, but also about the subject of publishing and learning how to write. Everyone has a story to tell about their publishing experience.”

Lippmann’s featured book is “Nellie Miller,” a contemporary novel dealing with gay/lesbian issues of hypocrisy, discrimination, humane treatment and human rights.

“I hope I can interest people in reading a book that makes them examine their opinions and convictions about homosexuality and be truthful about it,” he said. “I am a straight guy, but I know wonderful people who happen to be gay and lesbian, and I consider them true friends.”

If the event is popular, Lippmann hopes to include more authors next year. “Perhaps we can expand it to 50 authors or more,” he said.