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BookExpo America 2001 Author Events Program to Feature Benefit Concert by Wynton Marsalis

Isabel Allende, John F. Welch, Quincy Jones, David McCullough, Peter Mayle and Wynton Marsalis to Speak at Author Breakfasts -- Other Guests Include Vernon Jordan, David Halberstam, Joyce Carol Oates, Sebastian Junger, Among Others, at Assorted Speaking E

BookExpo America (BEA) has announced its selections for the 2001 events program, which for the first time will feature a benefit concert in addition to a line-up of notable guest speakers. BEA will be held June 1-3 at the Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center.

Wynton Marsalis, the Pulitzer Prize-winning distinguished jazz and classical performer, who has recently been interviewed extensively for the documentary Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns, has agreed to perform live in a concert that will benefit the Book Industry Foundation (comprised of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression -- ABFFE -- and the Association of American Publishers' -- AAP's -- "Get Caught Reading" campaign). Proceeds will also benefit the Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Jazz Camp in New Orleans.

Numerous other authors will be featured at the annual industry-wide book convention in many venues, including the traditional Author Breakfasts, as well as several luncheons and a new, special mid-afternoon tea gathering in cooperation with the Audio Publishers Association on Saturday, June 2.

"The special events program at BEA this year underscores our desire to move beyond the traditional Author Breakfasts and to open up the convention to as many authors as possible," notes Greg Topalian, Show Director for BEA. "We are especially honored that Wynton Marsalis has supported us in this endeavor by making his time available to perform and help raise money for several book industry concerns and initiatives. His performance, in addition to the stellar list of speakers at our numerous other venues, will make this year's convention one of the most entertaining and stimulating gatherings in recent memory."

The special events at BEA include:

Friday, June 1

Children's Book and Author Breakfast, 8:00am - 9:30am; Grand Ballroom, $22
Sharon Creech, A Fine, Fine School and Love That Dog, Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins
Jules Feiffer, I'm Not Bobby, Michael di Capua Books / Hyperion Books for Children
Jack Prelutsky, Awful Ogre's Awful Day, Greenwillow / HarperCollins

Celebration of Books Luncheon., 12 noon - 2pm; Grand Ballroom, $30
Join the AAP and the ABA as they bestow the industry's highest honors on one of their own -- the presentation of the AAP's Curtis Benjamin Award, presentation of the Charles S. Haslam Award for Excellence in Bookselling, and the presentation of the Farrar, Straus & Giroux New Bookseller Awards. Guest speakers include:
Vernon Jordan, Vernon Can Read, PublicAffairs / Perseus Books Group
David Halberstam, The Politicians and the Generals: War and Peace, Scribner
Naomi Wolf, Misconceptions, Doubleday Broadway

Saturday, June 2

Book and Author Breakfast, 8:00am - 9:30am; Grand Ballroom, $22
Wynton Marsalis, Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life (co-authored with Carl Vigeland), Da Capo Press / Perseus Books Group
Peter Mayle, French Lessons, Alfred A. Knopf
John F. Welch, Jack: Straight From The Gut (co-authored with John A. Byrne), Warner Books

The Heard Word: Audio Book and Author Tea, 4:00pm - 5:30pm; Grand Ballroom, $10
Hosted by the Audio Publishers Association
James Patterson, 1st to Die, Random House Audiobooks
Robert Crais with narrator James Daniels, Hostage, Brilliance Audio
Jacquelyn Mitchard, A Theory of Relativity, HarperCollins Audio
Bill O'Reilly, The O'Reilly Factor, Random House Audiobooks

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life Benefit Concert, 9:30pm; Location & Price, TBA.
A benefit concert by Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Wynton Marsalis and his quartet. Proceeds go to the Book Industry Foundation and the Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Jazz Camp.

Sunday, June 3

Book and Author Breakfast, 8:00am - 9:30am; Grand Ballroom, $22
David McCullough, John Adams: A Biography, Simon & Schuster
Quincy Jones, Q: An Autobiography, Doubleday Broadway
Isabel Allende, Portrait in Sepia, HarperCollins

Presentation of the Blackboard Book of the Year Awards.

Author Luncheon, 12:00pm - 2:00pm; Grand Ballroom, $30
Joyce Carol Oates, Middle Age, HarperCollins
David Schickler, Kissing in Manhattan, Bantam Dell
Sylvia Iparraguirre, Tierra del Fuego, Curbstone Press
John Edgar Wideman, Hoop Roots: A Memoir, Houghton Mifflin
Sebastian Junger, Fire, W.W. Norton
Host: Jim Lehrer, The Special Prisoner, PublicAffairs / Perseus Books Group

Ms. Iparraguirre will be honored with the esteemed 2000 Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz Prize, awarded to Latin American women writers who have published a novel since 1995.

For more information concerning BookExpo America and registration for the above events, please call 800/840-5614 or 203/840-5614 (international) or visit the BEA Web Site. Why Exhibit at BookExpo America?

If you are in any way involved in the buying or selling of books - BookExpo America will help you achieve your business goals! BookExpo America is about the business of books...in all languages, in all formats and from all corners of the globe.

* A Cross-Section of Industry Professionals Under One Roof
BookExpo America is the largest event in the U.S. serving the $21.3 billion book market. With representation of over 2,100 exhibitors from 83 countries and hosting over 21,681 professionals, 1,000 members of the press, and 700 authors, BEA is a unique opportunity to market your presence to the book industry.

* Present New Titles and Products to a Captive Audience
BEA is the show focused on fall previews. 94% of attendees agree that BEA is the place to see new products. Over half of attendees credit BEA as their introduction to a new product.

* Getting Your Name Out There
Numerous opportunities exist for advertising and promotion - banners, flyers, sponsorships and more. Don't forget the press - the world media loves BookExpo America!

* A Total Industry Event
BEA offers over 100 educational sessions appealing to all aspects of the book industry. Highlights of the show include: Rights Center, Licensing Arena, Spanish Language Pavilion, and Electronic Publishing & Technology Pavilion.

* Years of Experience as Industry Leaders
90% of exhibitors said they are likely to exhibit in 2001. The average exhibitor has had a presence for more than eight years in the show.

BookExpo America attracts buyers from all over the United States and from around the world. More than 82% of BookExpo America participants have the authority to purchase book related products, 90% have purchase intent and 95% say that BookExpo America have influenced a product and vendor selection.

Visit the BookExpo America website or call 1-203-840-5902 for more information about attending, exhibiting, or advertising at this year's show.

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