On behalf of our authors, audience, volunteers and board, we extend our gratitude to those who helped to make the seventh annual History Book Festival Sept. 29-Oct. 1 a resounding success!
As author Zhuqing Li said: “You’ve so beautifully showcased that learning is indeed a celebration, and gathering to learn from each other should be a festival ... I engaged with individuals I might not otherwise have met. What a way to learn from each other and make sense of the world around us. It was an embrace of knowledge and humanity. If more people emulated this form of interaction – seeking understanding, compassion and shared wisdom from collective human experiences – the world would indeed be a better place.”
Over 4,000 people joined Zhuqing at HBF, the only book festival devoted exclusively to history. We are grateful to the 24 authors who joined us to discuss their works of historical nonfiction and fiction.
The festival would not be possible without financial and in-kind support of dozens of organizations, businesses and individuals.
We extend special thanks to our Presenting Funding Partners: Delaware Humanities and the Lee Ann Wilkinson Group. Both have supported the festival from the start, sharing our belief in the power of history, reading and civil dialogue to influence the future for the better.
We also appreciate our Keynote and Closing Funding Partners: Sally Mott Freeman and John K. Freeman underwrote our keynote featuring Steve Inskeep with Christina Shutt, director of the Lincoln Presidential Library; and Dogfish Head Beer & Benevolence funded the closing address with acclaimed author James McBride and Marie Arana.
Special thanks to our Authors’ Party Funding Partner, Griswold Home Care for Sussex & Kent Counties; and our Venue Funding Partners: Biblion, Browseabout Books, Cape Gazette, Susan Cohen and Ronald Collins, the Inn at Canal Square, Kinetik and the Lewes library. The entire list of partners has grown too long to include.
We’re grateful for our Community Partners: ACLU of Delaware, Beebe Healthcare, CAMP Rehoboth, Historic Lewes Farmers Market, Lewes Historical Society, Rehoboth Art League, Rehoboth Beach Historical Society & Museum, Seaside Jewish Community and Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice.
Thank you to the schools that welcomed our authors: Delaware State University (McBride), North Georgetown Elementary (Raschka), Phillis Wheatley Elementary, Bridgeville (Todd), Woodbridge High School (Inskeep/Todd) and Sussex Academy elementary (Kephart) and high school (Zuravleff). Thanks to donors for bringing authors to Southern Delaware and putting books about history into classrooms each year.
Our community really steps up to help. Thank you to Cape Gazette for promoting HBF and distributing the program; the City of Lewes for logistical support; the Lewes Chamber of Commerce for promotional assistance; Browseabout Books, the festival’s official bookseller; and the Lewes library and Lewes Historical Society for helping to host, staff and promote HBF. Attendees purchased more than 2,500 books, with every purchase helping to fund the next event. In addition, HBF buys books for schools and public libraries.
We owe a debt of gratitude to those who bring HBF to life: our volunteers, production team and attendees. Our authors were impressed by our audience, noting their intellectual curiosity and passion – a key reason the festival is so popular with authors and publishers.
The eighth annual History Book Festival is set for Sept. 27-29, 2024. We look forward to seeing you then!
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