CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — This year’s West Virginia Book Festival has decided to go virtual due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, officials said.
The free event will still be held Oct. 22-23 at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, but events will be hosted online, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported.
“The health and safety of our guests, volunteers, presenters and sponsors is our top priority, and due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Kanawha County, we felt it was prudent to cancel in-person activities this year,” festival co-chair Sarah Mitchell said in a statement. “Instead, book festival presentations will be streamed live online, so book lovers can still engage with our renowned literary guests.”
Some of the authors scheduled to appear include Pulitzer Prize-winner Colson Whitehead, best-selling author and West Virginia native Homer Hickam, and children’s author Jon Scieszka.
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