Since the first Ohioana Book Festival was held with ten authors in 2007, the festival has given readers the opportunity to connect with their favorite Ohio writers. This year is our third virtual festival – we welcome 110 authors and illustrators spread over three days.
Hear your favorite authors talk about their books and their writing process, and ask them questions in our live sessions. We will be posting panels throughout the weekend, so check below to see when panels will go live. See below for panel descriptions, moderators and panelists.
*All events are virtual, unless otherwise noted.
*Please note: all events and panelists are subject to change.
These authors will discuss their writing process and motivation for writing books about real-life people and historical events, in books for young readers.
Moderator: Jody Casella
Panelists: Keila V. Dawson, Andrea Hall, Leigh Lewis, Julie K. Rubini
2022 Ohioana Book Festival author Michelle Houts reads her book The Barn at Night, a sweet, gentle story, perfect for tucking kids into bed. Put on your pjs and join Michelle in store at Cover to Cover, or online at the link below!
A celebration of poetry, from a group of renowned poets, who tell their truth in verse – how they see the world and the people around them – in a celebration of words.
Moderator: Steve Abbott
Panelists: Pamela R. Anderson, William Heath, Kip Knott
Learn all about Jeffrey and how to draw the Giant and Molly from his book A Giant Mess!
1:00pm, LIVE
Appalachian Stories
Appalachian Ohio is home to a diverse population and a unique landscape. Join these authors as they celebrate the trials and triumphs of the Appalachian spirit in fiction.
Moderator: Joe Miller
Panelists: Janet Beard, Tiffany McDaniel, Carter Sickels, Jamie-Lyn Smith
Choose to Read Ohio spotlights Ohio authors and promotes reading across Ohio. The State Library of Ohio, Ohioana Library Association and Ohio Center for the Book encourage Ohioans of all ages to read and enjoy books together. Each CTRO booklist highlights selected books for a two-calendar-year promotion. Join current and former CTRO authors as they discuss these fantastic books.
Moderator: Terry Tocchi
Panelists: e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Sharon M. Draper, Tracy Subisak, Terri Libenson
Our authors have been hard at work putting together content for you! Please check here for playlists and links to readings, book trailers, story times, and more!
Some of our programs and activities featuring Ohioana Book Festival authors take place before the main event, beginning on April 19. Some will be streaming live, while others will be pre-recorded. All will be recorded and available for replay in the days following the event. All are free and open to the public!
Tuesday, March 29, 6:00pm-7:30pm
Heartbreak Tree: An Evening with Pauletta Hansel
Join Pauletta Hansel and The Mercantile Library Tuesday, March 29 at 6 PMfor the launch of Hansel’s Heartbreak Tree, a poetic exploration of the intersection of gender and place in Appalachia. Copies of Heartbreak Tree will be available for sale & signing at the in-person event. This is a hybrid event, with in-person and online access.
VOICEcorps enriches lives by reading printed news and information to people who are blind, have low vision, or other conditions that prevent reading. Several of our 2022 Ohioana Book Festival authors will record a discussion panel for this wonderful reading service.
Moderator: David Weaver
Panelists: Mark Darden, Bayyinah Monk-Nduaka, Donna Wyland, Don Tassone
Presented & Hosted by: VOICEcorps
Re-play link coming soon!
Thursday, April 28, 7:00pm
Ohioana Book Festival Kick-Off and Preview Night
Join Ohioana Library Association’s director, David Weaver, along with a few special guests, to kick off the start of the 2022 Ohioana Book Festival with a bang!
Moderator: David Weaver
Panelists/Guests: Terri Libenson, Rebecca Asmo, Ohio Channel, and more!
Book Signing with Mar Romasco Moore at the Book Loft of German Village
Meet Mar Romasco Moore, author and writing professor at CCAD! You can pre-purchase a copy of her new book here.
From the author of Some Kind of Animal comes a wildly unique story about an invisible girl struggling to see herself in a world obsessed with appearances.
IN-PERSON, FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – Registration not required, but greatly encouraged. Register here!
Wednesday, May 4, 4:00pm
Author Visit with Mar Romasco Moore and Donte Woods-Spikes at Parsons Library Branch, 1113 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43206
Hear talks from two authors featured at the Ohioana Book Festival and learn about their paths to becoming authors! Teen, ages 12-17.
IN-PERSON, FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – Registraton not required! More informationhere!
Saturday, May 7, 11:00am-12:30pm
Author visit and signing with Mindy McGinnis and Natalie D. Richards at Paragraphs Bookstore, 229 S. Main St., Mt. Vernon, OH 43050
IN-PERSON, FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – Registration not required! More information here!
