Robin Agnew
I've been a part of the Kerrytown BookFest for seven years now, the first year as an exhibitor only (that was a fun and relaxing year!) The rest of the time I've been a board member, now in charge of programming.
Some years programming is a dream, other years it's more difficult. There are so many wrong ways to put a panel together, and I think I've done them all, but I've gotten steadily better. It's always a chemistry experiment: how will the panelists interact? Will they spark off one another, or will it be a flat discussion? That's beyond my control, though I try to bring togather good matches.
Last year our topic was food - we ended up with a great line-up, but it was difficult to program, as that is something completely out of any area of expertise of mine. This year our topic - Michigan - was far more broad ranging and programming went like a dream. My parameters were writers who live in Michigan, write about Michigan, or were from Michigan. I have talent travelling from as far away as Duluth, Minnesota and Cottekill, New York, but they all, one way or another, have a Michigan connection.
Practically everyone I asked said "yes", and we have speakers raging from Loren Estleman to Thomas Lynch to Steve Hamilton to David Small. If you think you don't know who David Small is, but you have teenage kids - google him - you've read aloud a David Small book, I guarantee it! As I programmed I also found other speakers who cited David as a mentor, which seemed like a lovely circle to me.
While I feel this year we have one of our very strongest panel lineups, with all the panels being focused and interesting, it's always hard to tell. I have learned over the year that each panel needs to have a fairly narrow focus, and it's best to keep the panel to 4 people so if one cancels, you still have 3. (And there are always cancellations, it's part of life.) We have also found that focusing the programming as a whole is more interesting and helps to draw people with a particular interest.
And to the panelist who cancelled a trip to Shanghai to attend the bookfest: your Vodka Soda awaits, special glass and all. Thanks to everyone who is participating and hopefully attending - it all takes place at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market on Sunday, September 12 from 11-5. Visit www.kerrytownbookfest.org for a complete schedule.
