FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (April 23,1997) -- Now one of the largest annual events in central Virginia, the Third Annual Virginia Festival of the Book, held March 20-23, topped its previous two editions in all categories.

"We were up across the board," said festival coordinator Cecile Tucker. "We met -- and exceeded -- all our numerical goals."

The final counts and statistical highlights from completed program evaluation forms include the following:

• The total number in attendance was 13,725 -- up from 8,750 the previous year and 3,500 the inaugural year.

• The total number of participants (authors, publishers, and other experts) was 235, up from 175 in 1996.

• The total number of programs and events was 187, up from 154 the year before and 55 the first year.

• The number of visitors from other states increased from 3 percent in 1996 to 5 percent this year.

It was hard for many to decide which of each day's readings, book signings, exhibits, lectures, workshops, demonstrations and panel discussions in and around Charlottesville to go to, and overall, 93 percent of attendees gave the Virginia Festival of the Book a "good" or "excellent" rating.

Several book festival events were filmed and are currently being televised nationally by C-SPAN, the cable satellite public affairs network, on it's regular "About Books" program.

Tentative dates for the Fourth Annual Virginia Festival of the Book: March 19-22, 1998.

Virginia Festival of the Book
tel: (804) 924-3296
fax: (804) 296-4714
e-mail: vfob@virginia.edu

[VFOB Home Page / About VFOB / Program of Events / Special Function Tickets / Who's Participating? / Participating Organizations / Sponsoring Organizations / Volunteering / C'ville Loves Books / John Grisham]

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This document was last modified on Monday, 28-Aug-2006 10:36:16 EDT
Copyright © 1997, Virginia Festival of the Book, BITS