TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It's Tucson's biggest event for readers and writers of all ages. The Tucson Festival of Books finds tens of thousands of bookworms mingling at the University of Arizona to meet their favorite authors, peruse books from indie writers and selections from the shelves of local booksellers, and hear unique discussions with icons of all genres.
This year brings a wide variety of bookstore favorites and even some well-known actors.
Ed Begley Jr. — The Emmy-nominated actor has starred in "St. Elsewhere", "Better Call Saul", and "Arrested Development". He'll be discussing his new memoir about his long career in Hollywood.
Olivie Blake — Her "Atlas Six" series has been a favorite for fans of dark academia fiction and a recent staple of the New Adult genre.
C.J. Box — The author of the Joe Pickett series, which was turned into a TV show. "Big Sky" was also based on his work.
Cory Doctorow — A science fiction writer known for his books dealing with the near-future effects of technology. He'll be part of a panel discussing artificial intelligence in science fiction.
Jonathan Eig — His recently released biography "King: A Life" has been called the "definitive" biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Craig Johnson — The author of the "Longmire" series which became a smash-hit series on Netflix.
J.A. Jance — It wouldn't be the Festival of Books without an appearance by Bisbee's own J.A. Jance. She has a veritable library worth of books under her belt. Our Pat Parris spoke to Jance a couple years ago about what makes the Festival of Books Absolutely Arizona.
Kevin Nealon — You may know this comedian and actor from his near decade as a part of the cast of "Saturday Night Live" or his appearances in some of Adam Sandler's films.
Bob and Erin Odenkirk — Known for his role as Saul in the "Breaking Bad" universe and his recent action film "Nobody", Bob Odenkirk is joined by his daughter to promote their children's book of silly rhymes.
Brian Stelter — Host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and a well-known figure on the network. His recent books have focused on the media and freedom of the press.
R.L. Stine — If you were growing up in the 90's...you probably had a couple of his "Goosebump" books floating around your room (hopefully not literally, but you never know with Stine). During his visit Stine will introduce his brand new "Goosebumps" series, "House of Shivers".
You'll find hundreds more authors on the Festival of Books website.
It's taking place Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10. Stay tuned to KGUN9 for more coverage of the event.
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
