The fifth annual Portland (Ore.) Book Festival, organized by Literary Arts and presented by Bank of America, took place on November 9 at the Portland Art Museum and surrounding venues. More than 9,000 book lovers of all ages came out to the daylong event to hear more than 100 authors read and discuss their work. The event was free for all attendees 17 and under. All paid passes included a $5 book voucher redeemable at the exhibitor hall. On-site book sales and authors signings were provided by indie bookseller partners Powell’s Books, Green Bean Books, Annie Bloom’s, and Broadway Books. We’ve gathered a selection of highlights from the event.
Author Rainbow Rowell (l.) and illustrator Faith Erin Hicks talk about their YA graphic novel, Pumpkinheads (First Second). Photo: Shawnte Sims.
Holman Wang, author and artist of Great Job, Dad! and Great Job, Mom! (Tundra), after his “Words & Pictures: Making Children’s Literature” event. Photo: Shawnte Sims.
Raina Telgemeier signing her recent graphic memoir, Guts, after the “Scholastic GraphixCon: Middle Grade Graphic Novels” panel. Photo: Shawnte Sims.
Readers waiting to get their books signed after the GraphixCon talk, which featured five prominent middle-grade graphic novelists: Gale Galligan (The Baby-sitters Club: Boy-Crazy Stacey), Jennifer L. Holm (Sunny Rolls the Dice), Molly Knox Ostertag (The Midwinter Witch), Aron Nels Steinke (Mr. Wolf’s Class: Lucky Stars), and Raina Telgemeier (Guts). The discussion was moderated by Jonathan Hill (Science Comics: Wild Weather). Photo: Shawnte Sims.
Carson Ellis, illustrator of The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper (Candlewick), is joined by her son at a storytime. Photo: Shawnte Sims.
Mina Javaherbin, author of My Grandma & Me (Candlewick), with a fan at the Portland Art Museum’s Miller Gallery. Photo: Shawnte Sims.
OverDrive’s digital bookmobile is open for business. Photo: Andie Petkus.
A young reader browses the offerings from publishers. Photo: Andie Petkus.
Children’s songwriter and author Emily Arrow (Trying Again, Cantata) leads a storytime singalong. Photo: Shawnte Sims.
During the “Dark Magic: Folklore and Fantasy YA” panel, authors (from l.) Shea Ernshaw (Winterwood, Simon Pulse), Katy Rose Pool (There Will Come a Darkness, Holt), and Nafiza Azad (The Candle and the Flame, Scholastic Press), joined moderator Ebonee Bell of Multnomah County Library for a conversation about crafting fictional worlds. Photo: Andie Petkus.
A view of the crowd at the “Dark Magic” event. Photo: Andie Petkus.
The “Facing the Past: Middle Grade Novels” panel featured authors (from l.) Heidi Schulz (Hook’s Revenge, Disney-Hyperion), Dylan Meconis (Queen of the Sea, Walker Books US), and Renée Watson (Some Places More Than Others, Bloomsbury). Photo: Andie Petkus.
