2017 Highland Park Literary Festival Announces Keynote speaker Jamie Ford.
The 21st Annual Highland Park Literary Festival announces that celebrated author JAMIE FORD will be the 2017 Keynote Speaker. Mr. Ford will speak to the public about his writings on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:00pm at Highland Park High School. The community event, which is generously underwritten by La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas, and organized by HP Literary Festival, is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Jamie Ford, the author of the New York Times bestselling novels,
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and
Songs of Willow Frost, is known for his works of powerful historical fiction that explore Asian American characters living in the Seattle area.
Ford's half-Chinese descent lent him the idea for
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a novel about the World War II internment of Japanese-Americans through the eyes of a young Chinese boy who befriends a Japanese-American girl. Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history,
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list, won the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and has been translated into 34 languages.
Jamie’s second novel, the
New York Times bestseller
Songs of Willow Frost, is a powerful tale of a boy with dreams for his future, and a young woman escaping her haunted past. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle,
Songs of Willow Frost follows two souls seeking love, hope, and forgiveness. Jamie is currently working on a YA (Young Adult) series.
The Highland Park Library has Mr. Ford’s works in numerous formats, including print, downloadable, and audio. To request one of the titles, please visit
www.hplibrary.info, click on the link to “My Account” and log in with your library card number and PIN.
The Highland Park Literary Festival seeks to inspire and encourage students to celebrate language in its artfully written, spoken and sung forms. The two-day festival will offer student assemblies with noted speakers, a community event, and over 60 small group workshops connecting HPHS students with novelists, journalists, poets, storytellers, playwrights, screenwriters and songwriters. The festival also includes a student-run Open Mic Nite where students share readings, musings, poetry, and musical performances. The festival concludes with a student writing contest and awards breakfast.
The HP Literary Festival is made possible with the generous donations from La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas, HP Arts, HPHS PTA, and HPISD families.
For further information on the Highland Park Literary Festival, please visit
www.hplitfest.com.