Florence Festival of Books Draws 100s of Bibliophiles to Oregon Coast in Sept

Published 08/19/22 at 4:38 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Florence, Oregon) – Get ready for a rager for bibliophiles.

For 11 years now, avid readers of all kinds of have flocked to the central Oregon coast, checking out the latest in all things bookish with the Florence Festival of Books. Authors, publishers and some 50 exhibits make up this stellar display of the world of the written word, happening again on September 24 at the Florence Events Center. (Above: just north of Florence. Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Started back in 2011, the festival has regularly drawn nationally-renowned writers, publishers and readers, usually a two-day affair that's pulled together as many as 500 folks from around the region and the country. This time around, the Oregon coast festival of wordage has edited itself down to fit into a single day. However, added this year is a special look at writing and publishing ebooks, and a dedication to outgoing president and founder Judy Fleagle.

Florence Festival of Books brings in authors looking for publishers as well as publishers looking for their next great hit on the book shelves. You'll find expert panelists, a keynote address by a high-profile author, and some nearly 8,000 sq feet of room along with a 450-seat theater. All this results in up to 50 exhibits in an Oregon coast favorite for bibliophiles that's free.

All events are open and free to the general public on Saturday, September 24, 2022.
• 9:00 -10:00 a.m. Panel Discussion (Topic: eBooks)
• 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Book Fair with 60 to 65 participating authors and publishers with their books
• 4:15 p.m. Keynote Speaker, William (Bill) Sullivan, author of D.B. Cooper and the Exploding Whale: Folk Heroes of the NW.

William Sullivan, courtesy photo

Author William L. Sullivan is a big name around the Oregon coast and the Pacific Northwest. His hiking book, 100 Hikes / Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range, is a kind of Bible for those who wander the trails of this region.

He's authored numerous outdoor guidebooks – more than 20, in fact. Some are histories and fiction as well, but all relate in some way to his home state of Oregon.

His "100 hikes" guidebook series is especially popular with people who enjoy backpacking in Oregon's wilderness areas. In 2005, the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission selected one of his books, Listening for Coyote, as one of the 100 most significant books in Oregon history.

Sullivan is a fifth generation Oregonian. He was born on April 9, 1953, and raised in Salem, Oregon. His father, J. Wesley Sullivan, was the editor of the Statesman Journal newspaper and a life-long advocate of wilderness conservation, which helped nurture Bill’s interest in the outdoors.

Sullivan attended Cornell University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Sullivan then attended Heidelberg University, where he studied linguistics for two years. When he returned from Heidelberg, Sullivan enrolled in the University of Oregon, and earned a Master’s in German literature in 1979.

Currently, Sullivan lives in Eugene with his wife, Janell Sorensen. They spend their summers in a log cabin they built in an isolated area along the Siletz River in the Oregon Coast Range where he does much of his writing. He hikes and travels for enjoyment as well as for book research.

These days, he continues to travel throughout Oregon to keep his guidebooks current.

An extensive FAQ page about exhibiting and attending the event is available at FlorenceFestivalOfBooks.org.

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