The Second Annual Dallas Book Festival (formerly the International Book Fair) will be held at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library Saturday, April 18, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In 2006 the Dallas International Book Fair presented annual literary events showcasing works by internationally acclaimed authors as well as national, regional and local authors representing diverse regions of the world. This family event included artistic and cultural performances, film and book presentations, educational workshops and children’s activities.
The event was renamed in February 2014 as the Dallas Book Festival with a purpose to continue the goal of promoting a love for books, reading and literacy through multilingual and multicultural activities with a focus on spotlighting the city of Dallas and its wide range of ethnic and cultural diversity.
In 2015, the theme is “Breaking the Silence, One Story at a Time," and the featured presenter will be Julia Chadwell, author of Little Texas Sweetheart: A Journey Through Domestic Violence.
This gripping story of one woman's spiritual, mental, and physical journey across America takes you through the terror of domestic violence. Her ordeal and transformation reveal the human condition, offering glimpses of how a personal relationship with God can take root and flourish in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Raised in a Christian home in the '40's and '50's, Julia Chadwell was sexually abused at 10-12 years old by a trusted adult. Later, she and her children were the victims of abuse, homelessness and hunger in the 1960's and 1970's. They begged from church pantry to church pantry, living as nomads in the land of plenty. "Everyone deserves to be happy and free. Help is available. First you must realize that abuse is not acceptable, and that you do not deserve to be ill-treated,” she writes.
Julia is the mother of 8, grandmother to 15, a retired elementary school teacher and active in her community and church. She is also married to her second husband and living in Southern California.
The Dallas Book Festival is accepting applications from authors for conducting workshops, participating in panels and buying a booth ($40 fee). The festival is also accepting applications from vendors for a booth ($40 fee).
For more information contact Ronnie Jessie at ronnie.jessie@dallascityhall.com or call 214-670-7809.
