35th annual KY book fair highlights work of local authors

This past Saturday (Nov. 5) was the 35th Annual Kentucky Book Fair.

Since 1981, the Kentucky Book Fair has been connecting readers and authors. It is now operated by the Kentucky Humanities Council and has been the state’s leading literary event for years. Each year, 170-plus local and national authors gather and meet with readers. This event is a celebration of shared passion and interest- the importance of reading and writing.

Some of the authors include:

Maria Henson- Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist (1992) for her work at the Lexington Herald Leader

Joel Pett- Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist (2000) for his work at the Lexington Herald Leader

Ann D’Angelo- Kentucky attorney with an undergraduate degree in history. Her first book is about a murder in 1930s Kentucky.

William Lynwood Montell- Oral historian who assembles collections of memoirs from across the state

This year, 184 authors attended and 149 are native to Kentucky or are currently residing here. The event was held in honor of Carl West who passed earlier this year.

West founded the fair in 1981 with about 40 authors participating. By the third year there were 80 authors and over 1,000 attendees.

This year they also celebrated the Pulitzer Centennial- 100 years of excellence in journalism and the arts.

Kentucky has had 16 groups and individuals win the Pulitzer Prize.

These include previously mentioned Joel Pett and Maria Henson, along with the staff of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Carl West connected two organizations shortly before his death, the Kentucky Book Fair and the Kentucky Humanities Council. The 2016 Fair is the first to be operated by the Humanities Council.