History Book Festival to cover wide range of subject matter

The ninth annual History Book Festival is set for Friday to Sunday, Sept. 26 to 28, at several venues in Lewes.

Attendees can access their choice of 20 author presentations Saturday, Sept. 27, all free of charge.

The Wampanoag tribe of Martha’s Vineyard, the ruins of ancient Troy and the British bombardment of Lewes are the topics of three works to be discussed.

Joseph Lee, an Aquinnah Wampanoag writer who teaches creative writing at Mercy University, will present his latest book, “Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power and the Search for Indigenous Identity.” Martha’s Vineyard is often represented as an iconic vacation destination for wealthy elites, but few know that it has also been the ancestral homeland of the Wampanoag people for at least 10,000 years. Today, nearly three-quarters of tribal members live off-island. “Nothing More of This Land” reveals the complexity and ever-changing nature of indigenous identity and addresses many threats facing U.S. tribes today.

The Delaware Historical Society and Historic Lewes have signed on as community partners in support of Lee’s presentation.

Jesse  Browner  will present his book, “Sing to Me: A Novel.” With his community emptied by war, a boy named Hani embarks on an epic quest — assisted by a brilliant, brooding donkey — to find his lost sister in the ruins of Troy. Hani must employ every bit of his intelligence, ingenuity, spirit and humor to withstand the forces of civilization’s collapse.

Seaside Jewish Community has signed on as a community partner in support of Browner’s event.

Andrew Lyter, curator of maritime history for Historic Lewes, specializes in the social history of the Revolutionary Atlantic. He will present his book, “Going Among English Sailors: American Tars Aboard HMS Belvidera, 1809-1814.”

The work delves into the untold stories of the 22 American sailors serving aboard the British naval ship HMS Belvidera during the Napoleonic Wars — the very ship that bombarded Lewes in 1813. Lyter captures the sailors’ tumultuous lives and offers a nuanced perspective on this chapter in maritime history.

To learn more, go to historybookfestival.org.