September 22, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kevin McFadden
434-924-6890
kmcfadden@virginia.edu
VABook! 2005 Announces Luncheon Speaker Alexander McCall Smith and Crime Wave Luncheon Speaker Linda Fairstein
The eleventh annual Virginia Festival of the Book (VABook!) is pleased to announce that novelist Alexander McCall Smith will be the speaker for its annual luncheon on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 11:45 a.m. at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel. McCall Smith, best known for his The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, has recently completed the sixth book in that sequence, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, along with The Sunday Philosophy Club, the first in a new mystery series.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series features Precious Ramotswe, a witty, independent Botswanan woman who becomes a private detective, frequently turning to Agatha Christie and her trusty copy of "Principles of Private Detection" for advice.
McCall Smith is the prolific author of over 50 books ranging from collections of short stories to medical texts to children's books, including The Perfect Hamburger. He is a Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, a member of numerous international and U.K. bioethics committees, a founder of the University of Botswana's Law School, an occasional visiting professor in the U.S. and Italy, and a bassoon player in "The Really Terrible Orchestra," which he co-founded.
VABook! is also pleased to announce that Linda Fairstein will be the speaker for this year's Crime Wave luncheon on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 12 noon at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel. Her first novel, Final Jeopardy, introduced the tough but tender prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. Her seventh Alexandra Cooper story Entombed will be available in January 2005.
Fairstein, a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Virginia School of Law, earned a reputation as a formidable prosecutor when she was bureau chief of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit of the New York County District Attorney's Office. Fairstein's work earned her several "Woman of the Year" awards and inspired her Virginia Law classmates to establish a scholarship in her name to support students who wish to pursue legal careers in the public sector.
The VABook! luncheons are among the few paid events of the free five-day literary festival (festival luncheon $45, Crime Wave luncheon $40). These events usually sell out soon after tickets go on sale, so those wishing to attend are encouraged to reserve immediately. To order, call (434) 924-6890 and please have a credit card ready.
The eleventh annual Virginia Festival of the Book, produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is scheduled for March 16-20, 2005. For more information on VABook!, visit the festival website www.vabook.org.
-- End Release --
Join our email list to stay informed about developments and events
