Florida Heritage Book Festival returns to St. Augustine in September

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (09/01/2014)(readMedia)-- The seventh annual Florida Heritage Book Festival and Writers Conference takes place Sept. 25-27 with events honoring best-selling authors Robin Cook and John D. MacDonald (posthumously), celebrating the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and giving participants the chance to learn from dozens of published authors and writers.

Cook, author of more than 30 books, will be honored at the Literary Legends Banquet, a tradition that has seen some of Florida's most acclaimed writers accept awards in person and enthrall audiences with remarks about their legendary careers.

Cook has sold nearly 10 million copies starting with the novel "Coma" and created the medical thriller genre.

Highlights of the festival include:

• Critique and Writers Workshops - Sept. 25-26, Flagler College - The festival's Writers Conference features more than 100 writers from throughout the southeast who will hold critique workshops and multiple sessions on the craft and business of writing. Conference faculty consists of professionals like John Dufresne and Vicki Hendricks.

• Literary Legends Banquet – Sept. 26, St. Johns County Convention Center at Renaissance World Golf Village Resort - Each year the festival honors at least one acclaimed author with ties to the Sunshine State. The authors are recognized at the banquet, a tradition that has seen some of Florida's most acclaimed writers accept their awards and mingle with attendees.

• Florida Heritage Book Festival and Marketplace - Sept. 27, Ringhaver Student Center, Flagler College - Each year the festival showcases Florida's rich and diverse literary legacy with author presentations which promise to delight book lovers and provide inspiration for aspiring authors. This year the bar is raised even higher with presentations and reading by an enticing mix of bestselling authors in both fiction and nonfiction.

• Civil Rights Panel - Sept. 27, Lewis Auditorium, Flagler College, 9:30 a.m. - The festival will honor the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act with a special panel on Northeast Florida's role in that rich history. The panel will feature Dr. R.B. Hayling, Rodney L. Hurst, Sr., Dr. David Colburn, and Charles E. Cobb, Jr.

• Marketplace - Sept. 27, Ringhaver Student Center, Flagler College - Meet publishers and authors, purchase books and have them signed.

The Ringhaver Student Center is located at 50 Sevilla St., St Augustine.

For more information, prices or to register, visit www.fhbookfest.com

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The Florida Heritage Book Festival in St. Augustine, Fla., promotes the state's authors and literary works while providing educational opportunities for the students of St. Johns County. Since 2008, the festival has attracted more than 200 nationally-known authors and writers to its annual panel discussions, book signings, and writers conference. The festival also honors Florida Literary Legends, and in the past has recognized Carl Hiaasen, Michael Gannon, John Jakes, Peter Matthiessen, and Edna Buchanan. The Book Festival provides funding for the St. Johns County Public Library System, The St. Augustine Record's Newspaper Media in Education Program, and a creative writing scholarship at Flagler College. For more information, visit www.fhbookfest.com