Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books Cancels 2020 Event
The UWM at Waukesha Foundation will continue some festival components
Waukesha, Wisconsin, August 11, 2020 – The UWM at Waukesha Foundation announced today that the 2020 Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books scheduled for a virtual event on November 6 and 7 will not be presented as planned due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Festival. a project of the nonprofit UWM at Waukesha Foundation for 11 years, bringing the community together at the campus to encourage literacy, author-to-reader collaboration, and creativity through arts and entertainment will offer a limited number of virtual programs supported by sponsors and partnerships.
“At this unprecedented and historic time, funding this year’s festival during a downturn in donations due to the effects of the pandemic has significantly impacted our ability to create a virtual event that meets the standards of our past festivals. Programs and events that were announced and planned will take place,” said Alex Lackore, UWM at Waukesha Foundation board president.
“Several events already planned for the 2020 Festival will go on during October and November,” announced Lillian Boese, Festival co-chair. This year’s lineup will include the Century Fence sponsored student essay and poetry contests for middle and high school students, the Duane Stein short story contest for high school student throughout the state of Wisconsin, co-sponsorship of a Waukesha Reads panel and a partnership with Oconomowoc-based Books & Company who will host virtual presentations with five authors introducing new books.
- The festival’s annual student writing contests support a goal to attract youth to the potential of the written word. This year, students are asked to write about a book that helped them reimagine and improve a situation in their life. Entries to the Century Fence sponsored poetry and essay contests are due October 1 to info@sewibookfest.com. The contest is open to middle and high school students in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. The Duane Stein Short Story contest is open to all Wisconsin high school students. Email shortstorymatch@gmail.com for details. Entries are due October 1.
- The Festival of Books will co-sponsor an author scholar panel with Waukesha Reads on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. Area professors in English, History, Political Science, and Global Studies from UWM at Waukesha and Carroll University will share insights on the themes of When the Emperor Was Divine. This panel can be viewed at youtube.com/waukeshareads.
Festival of Books bookstore partner, Books & Company of Oconomowoc, will host three virtual author events planned for the festival. Visit https://www.booksco.com to register in advance for each event.
- Oct. 13 — Kathie Giorgio, Waukesha author, will launch, No Matter Which Way You Look, There Is More To See, a full-length poetry collection. Giorgio’s previous books include five novels, two short story collections, two poetry collections, and a collection of essays. She will share the program with her husband, Michael Giorgio, whose third novel, A Week of Criminal Happiness, was released June 1, 2020.
- Oct. 20 – Jeanette Hurt, Milwaukee author, will launch The Wisconsin Cocktail Book published by the University of Wisconsin Press. This history of spirits in the Badger State will include a demonstration on how to make the perfect cocktail. Hurt has also authored Drink Like a Woman and The Joy of Cider.
- Nov. 7 – Ellyn Lem, Waukesha author and UWM at Waukesha professor of English and Gender studies will present Gray Matters: Finding Meaning in the Stories of Later Life, a book that she wrote following research with Waukesha area seniors. Lem will be joined by UWM Theater Professor and MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant recipient, Anne Basting, author of Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care.
“We hope the circumstances related to COVID-19 will have dissipated as we are anxious to plan for next year’s Festival. New York Times bestselling author, Elizabeth Berg, who had been scheduled as the 2020 keynote is now scheduled for 2021,” said Boese.
“Other Festival favorites may be added to the schedule if resources become available. Our hope is to keep Southeast Wisconsin authors on the minds of the public through this difficult year,” commented Laraine O’Brien, Festival founder.
The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books is funded solely on donor and sponsor support from individuals, organizations and corporations. If you would like to support the festival please visit www.sewibookfest.com/support/donate/. Email info@sewibookfest.com to find continuously updated information about the 2020 festival.
About the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books is a project of the UWM at Waukesha Foundation and brings the UWM at Waukesha campus and community together to promote literacy and foster creativity at a free annual public event. Local, state and national authors, artists and educators collaborate and contribute to encourage intergenerational reading and learning. Festival sponsors make the event possible through their private support.
About the UWM at Waukesha Foundation
The UWM at Waukesha Foundation supports the campus and the academic activities of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha by raising, receiving and distributing funds to benefit and assist students, faculty, programs and community partners. The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books is central to the foundation’s mission of providing free and equitable access to educational and cultural experiences for all its audiences.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Debra Running, Executive Director
UWM at Waukesha Foundation
runningd@uwmwaukfoundation.org
(262) 521-5570
