On Saturday, October 22, the 5th annual Books by the Banks: Cincinnati USA Book Festival will take place at Duke Energy Convention Center from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The day-long festival will feature over 100 regional and national authors, book signings, author panels, and activities for the entire family to enjoy. All events are free and open to the public.

At the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to meet authors and to purchase signed copies of their books. Books by the Banks features writers in various categories including fiction, non-fiction, cooking, children’s literature, local travel, sports, and more. Nationally known authors such as Dennis Lehane, Judy Collins, and Matthew Reinhart will join local favorites Meg Galvin and Stephanie Romine (a.k.a. SparkPeople), Jeffrey Craig, and Don Nesbitt to celebrate the joy and reading of books.

Three University of Cincinnati authors, all from the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, will be among the 100+ authors at the festival. The UC authors are:

• Myriam J.A. Chancy, professor of English. Her latest novel, The Loneliness of Angels was awarded the Guyana Prize in Literature Caribbean Award, Best Fiction 2010, Sept. 1, 2011 in Georgetown, Guyana. It was also shortlisted in the fiction category of the OCM Bocas Prize in Caribbean Literature, Spring 2011.
• Mary Curran-Hackett, adjunct instructor of English and comparative literature. Proof of Heaven is Curran-Hackett’s first novel. It is described as “a story of a mother’s faith, a child’s bravery, and a doctor’s search for healing that come together in this moving and thought-provoking fiction debut that explores the meaning of family, faith, and love.”
• Michael Griffth, associate professor of English and comparative literature. Griffith’s books of fiction are Spikes (Arcade, 2001; paperback 2002), Bibliophilia (Arcade, 2003; paperback 2004–new edition to be published in 2012 by Northwestern University Press), and Trophy (TriQuarterly Books/Northwestern University Press, 2011).

A commemorative Books by the Banks poster by artist/illustrator and Books by the Banks participant Christina Wald will be available for purchase at the festival for $15.

Books by the Banks is organized by UC Libraries, The Mercantile Library, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Northern Kentucky University Library, Clermont County Library, and the Middletown Public Library.

The Books by the Banks website has a listing and information on the authors scheduled to appear at the event, a schedule of panel sessions, activities scheduled in the K12 Kids Corner, as well as directions and parking information for Duke Energy Convention Center. For more information, visit www.booksbythebanks.org.