FROM PAGE TO STAGE - MIAMI BOOK FAIR RETURNS

By Victoria Rivera

Make space on your bookshelves, because the Miami Book Fair is coming back! From Nov. 16 to 23, Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus will hold an eight-day

festival dedicated to celebrating authors and the joys of reading. Tickets for adults start at only $12 for single-day tickets and $18 for two. It’s appropriate for all ages, disability friendly and offers opportunities to meet your favorite writers. Whether you’re hoping to find your next favorite author or enjoy the atmosphere, here’s what to look forward to.

PHOTO CREDITS: MITCHELL ZACHS

Opening Day Block Party

Starting on a Sunday, the block party is completely free for anyone. Where the previous year already had famous DJs like Hector Romero, 2025 plans to step it up

a notch with “Jump N’ Funk.” Described as America’s original Afrobeat Party, Jump N’ Funk began in New York to raise awareness for the work of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: a Nigerian artist who helped revolutionize afrobeat. Having traveled across the country, the party now comes to Miami to celebrate both culture and literacy as a whole.

Off the Shelf

If you can’t attend the first day, you can still enjoy a musical celebration throughout the fair’s duration. Every weekend has new artists, each with a unique style to keep attendees going. You can find jazz performances like in the Young Musicians Unite, a mix of soul and R&B through House Savage, and plenty of others that span from 10:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. As the fair itself describes it: “It’s just like a rollicking mini music festival, with books.”

Children’s Alley

While the Book Fair is mostly focused on its namesake, its mission goes beyond the page to spark a love of creativity in every form for Florida’s youth. To do so, kids get free tickets and a space of their own in the form of the Children’s Alley. Young readers can

discover books perfectly suited to their age and hands-on activities. Kids can learn to drum with the South Florida Center for Percussive Arts or participate in magic shows. They have a wide variety of events to inspire kids to learn without making it feel like a chore, even if it’s in the form of origami and improv lessons. For teens, on the same days, there are panels dedicated to young adult (YA) book authors where aspiring writers can ask questions.

ReadCaribbean

With Miami’s Caribbean population totaling at almost half a million according to the United States Census Bureau, the Miami Book Fair celebrates this population with performances and author showcases dedicated to Caribbean writers. Audiences can

expect to see a variety of literary works from poetry, to traditional folktales, to personal biographies.

PHOTO CREDITS: MITCHELL ZACHS

Identity lies at the heart of literature. It influences every part of living, including writing; you can’t celebrate creative work without celebrating the culture that brought it to exist in the first place.

In turn, the fair offers other events of a similar nature through ReadingEast and the IberoAmerican Program, which focus on Eastern and Hispanic-Latino writers, respectively. In all of the authorial events, readers can find panels that showcase an author of the respective heritage beginning on the 20th. These can also coincide

with live readings to band performances.

Lost Chapter

Starting at 6 p.m., for the entire duration of the event, attendees can hit the rooftops of Wolfson's Building 1 for another party. Not only is it calmer than the previous festivities, but you can also get cocktails and snacks. Each nightly party comes with its own book-themed activities that can help you find new friends or stories to

dig into.

PHOTO CREDITS: MITCHELL ZACHS

For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.miamibookfair.com.