Every October, the Tennessee Humanities Council hosts the Southern Festival of Books. After rotating between Memphis and Nashville for the past four years, the festival has settled in Nashville for good. Over 250 authors attend the event at War Memorial plaza downtown.

Let’s look at the event from two perspectives: First, through the eyes of featured authors. Dawn Shamp read from her novel, On Account of Conspicuous Women. She joined Tennessee writer Darnell Arnoult for a panel discussion, Adapting to Change: Novels of Strong Southern Women. Dawn said she would certainly attend the festival again if asked because “It's a wonderful forum for book lovers to have an opportunity to hear authors read and give talks, not to mention to buy books and get them signed.” Dawn had a rather large turnout in the Old Supreme Court Room, partly because she was on panel with a local author and she read on Friday, at the beginning of the Festival.

Erin Keane read from her collection of poetry, The Gravity Soundtrack. Erin was the only reader in her time slot on Sunday afternoon, the last day of the festival. This was not a particularly easy spot to draw a crowd. Erin said her return to the festival depended upon how many books were sold.

So the good part of being an author: You’re invited to read in a forum that draws over 30,000 people. The downside: There’s no telling how many will come to your reading, particularly if you’re running solo because that’s the schedule.

Second, through the eyes of a spectator and book lover.

The schedule for this weekend is chockfull of events, readings, panel discussion, and cooking demonstrations. It reads like a Spalding residency schedule. Food vendors line the plaza, along with local musicians. The event is mostly outdoors which, considering the weather at that time of year around here, is a definite perk. People sit on the steps of the signing colonnade waiting for the next event to start, or drinking fresh squeezed lemonade or local restaurants’ barbecues. Local presses and university presses also set up booths along the plaza. And if the signing colonnade doesn’t have enough books from the authors themselves, the press booths and local bookstore booths have plenty.

The festival covers every genre imaginable. There are stages set up for children’s entertainment, as well as children’s authors to do readings. There are panels on poetry and writing for young adults and creative non-fiction. Screenwriters even have a small section. Fiction and Non-fiction are the most popular, though. And the selection of authors ranges from first-time authors like Dawn Shamp and Erin Keane, to veterans like Bret Lott, Patricia McKissack, and Richard Bausch.

And best of all, the Southern Festival of Books is free.