Amelia Island Book Festival
Press Release
Submitted by Diana Frank
Director of Communications
January 3, 2022
For gala tickets click here
The Amelia Island Book Festival returns February 18 and 19, 2022 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In the past 20 years, the AIBF has brought more than 1,500 authors and over 100 New York Times bestselling authors to the festival. The AIBF’s mission is to enhance the overall life skills of Nassau County children and adults by generating a lifelong love of books through an appreciation of reading, writing, and authors. It has invested over $2 million in Nassau County literacy.
Friday, February 18, 2022 — AIBF Gala 6 pm to 9 pm at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island
The Gala is the opening event to kick off the 2022 Amelia Island Book Festival. It will return in a hybridized version to adapt to precautions surrounding the Covid 19 pandemic. Tickets to the in-person celebratory event at the Ritz Carlton are now on sale and will be limited to 100. An affordable livestream ticket can be purchased to participate in this extraordinary Gala remotely.
The in-person event will feature a cocktail hour and an opportunity to meet and mingle with celebrity authors. There will be a selection of delectable hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. The evening will continue with a live auction, author discussions, Q&A lead by New York Times best seller and honorary chair David Baldacci with a panel of bestselling authors including Mary Alice Monroe, Jennifer Niven and Jeannette Walls. Afterward, a distinctive dessert will be served along with coffee and beverages. A cash bar will be available. Finally, there will be a celebrity book signing presented by event partner, The Book Loft.
For those preferring to participate remotely, the livestream will run live reports from the event during the in-person cocktail hour, the full program of the live auction with the option to bid, author discussions, Q&A, and special prerecorded videos and interviews. The cost for this version is $35. Tickets for both in-person and livestreaming can be purchased at ameliaislandbookfestival.org/gala/ticketing, and live auction items will be on the website.
Friday, February 18 Authors in Schools
Proceeds from the Gala benefit the primary goal of the AIBF, to promote literacy through the Authors in Schools program. From a selection of 30-40 authors, teachers choose the author’s books that would be age-appropriate for their classes. The authors selected visit classes to do a reading, then each student gets a book by that author. All Nassau County students through middle school will receive a book by authors selected by their teachers. This year, high school students who sign up will also receive books. To become a sponsor, visit ameliaislandbookfestival.org.
The AIBF supports and encourages emerging student authors by providing a short story writing contest each year. Last year there were more than 200 submissions writing on the theme “The Unexpected Happening,” and 50 of the student essays are to be published in an anthology. Details for the 2022 short story writing contest are on the website.
Saturday, February 19, 2022 — Author Expo 10 am to 4 pm at the Fernandina Beach Middle School
This is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Amelia Island Book Festival’s Author Expo. Readers will be able to engage with more than 100 authors in a personal way about their work and what inspires them. You can purchase their books and have them signed. In addition to the exhibiting authors, there are scintillating breakout sessions where you will hear from New York Times best-selling authors: Jeannette Walls, Jennifer Niven, Angela May and David Baldacci. Thereafter, you can have those authors sign copies of their books in the gym.
This year the Expo will also include author driven Teen/Tween sessions featuring Susan and Lexi Haas, The Buttered Cat and A. D. Williams and Kendal Fordham Cann, authors of Mansa’s Little Reminders. Students 10-18 years of age are invited, and prizes will be awarded. Authors will be available for book signing and answering questions. Visit ameliaislandbookfestival.org to pre-register. The Kidz’ Zone is available to keep the young ones engaged. This event offers unlimited opportunities to enrich your life with books in a fun loving, festive atmosphere.
Short story writing contest and two $5,000 Scholarship- Program theme, criteria and applications are now available on the AIBF website.