Get ready to celebrate at the Tucson Festival of Books

Eleven is the most intuitive of all numbers. It is instinctual, charismatic, dynamic and perfectly describes our upcoming festival.

There are book fairs and book festivals, and then there is the Tucson Festival of Books. It is a huge, diverse event in a perfect setting. Authors are at the forefront with 330 presenting in 336 sessions at 36 different venues.

There will be National Book Award honorees, Pulitzer Prize winners, Newberry Medal sensations, Edgar winners and many more. The authors, activities, exhibitors and hospitality are second to none.

There will be panel discussions, workshops, storytelling, culinary demonstrations, book sales and book signings. Every genre, from current events to sports to children to mystery, will be represented.

Attend the Hot Off the Press event, enjoy the Literary Circus, visit the Mirror Lab, explore the Western National Parks Pavilion, have a barbecue sandwich, enjoy live C-SPAN/Book TV in the Gallagher Theatre and Student Union, experience Science City.

The Arizona Daily Star Tent and UA Mall Tent have outstanding lineups (no tickets needed). And don’t forget the young adult and children’s authors — they are some of the best presenters.

Foodies, check out the Arizona Wholesale/Sub Zero/Wolf Culinary Experience. Bask in 70-degree weather as you stroll the UA Mall — work a crossword puzzle while you do— check out the exhibitors, enjoy some music, see the Thoreau House. The 1,600 festival volunteers have done an incredible job in pulling everything together.

Who’s new: Ed Asner, Sandra Brown, Andre Dubus III, Tess Gerritsen, Kwame Alexander, Sigrid Nunez, Joe Lansdale, Carol Anderson, Fabien Cousteau, Renée Watson, James Dean, Janet Leavy, Ross Gay.

Who’s back: Luis Urrea, Janice Kaplan, Phillip Margolin, J.A. Jance, Elizabeth Berg, David Maraniss, Greg Hurwitz, Ann Hood, William Kent Krueger, Lisa Genova, Leonard Pitts, Thomas Perry, Nina Burleigh.

Creating your author schedule: Pull out the author/children/science schedules or open the Festival website or app and review the subjects and authors. Create and save your own schedule. Highlight panels and workshops. Go to at least one panel each day where you like the subject, but know nothing about the authors.

At the end of the day you may be a bit weary, but you will be smiling about all the terrific encounters at the country’s third-largest book festival.

The 2019 Tucson Festival of Books marks the beginning of the second decade for the third-largest book festival in the country.

I want to personally thank the extraordinary support of the sponsors, including presenting sponsor Tucson Medical Center, all 250+ exhibitors and our host, the University of Arizona.

Being board chair of the festival for the first time this year, I can also tell you the work and dedication of our volunteers is truly remarkable. Through all their efforts and support, the festival has not only grown in size but also in stature in 11 years, with top authors with new books returning and raving about Tucson’s welcoming hospitality.

When the festival began in 2009, the intent was to support literacy in Tucson, and the festival has delivered. Through its first 10 years, the festival has donated over $1.8 million to literacy organizations in the Tucson area.

The Arizona Daily Star takes great pride in being a founding sponsor of this event and for the spotlight this event puts on literacy in our community.

We hope you enjoy this year’s festival, and we hope you visit as many of the sponsor and author booths as you can during the two days. If you stop by the Arizona Daily Star tent, be sure to say hi!

This will be my first festival as UA president, and I have heard some outstanding things about the many exhibits, author presentations and panel discussions occurring this weekend. I am very proud that the University of Arizona is a founding partner and sponsor of the festival, and it is my pleasure to welcome the thousands of readers, writers, educators, scholars and neighbors.

We are fortunate to have such an amazing cultural and educational experience right here in Tucson. Celebrating and enabling human expression and the dynamism of individual creativity is a critical part of the UA’s mission, and I am sure that everyone will find something memorable at this wonderful event.

Thank you for joining us,and thank you so much for your support. Have a wonderful time at the Tucson Festival of Books!

Take home a FREE book, thanks to the Stocker Foundation. Books will be given to kids at the free book tent on the Psychology patio just southeast of the College of Education building. One book per child, please. Free teen books will also be available in the Teen Plaza.

Hot Off the Press is a book launch party exclusively for Friends of the Festival! This year’s lineup includes:

Charlie Jane Anders, Jillian Cantor, Alyssa Cole, Greg Grandin, J.A. Jance, Phillip Margolin and Harriet Tyce. Guests are treated to a light breakfast and coffee, and can purchase these new titles and have them signed by the authors.

To become a Friend of the Festival and see what other Friends perks are available, go to tucsonfestivalofbooks.org to sign up. Membership starts at $50.

The javelina made of random letters is the 11th in an exclusive series of icons for the Tucson Festival of Books by Arizona Daily Star illustrator Chiara Bautista. The javelina is well-known for having an appetite for almost anything, letting little stand in the way of its next meal — perhaps like an ardent reader pursuing the next best-seller.

Online tickets for selected venues

Festivalgoers may reserve free tickets to our six most-popular venues starting at noon Mountain Standard Time on Monday, Feb. 25. Online ticketing will be available through noon Friday, March 1, while tickets last, for:

• Student Union North Ballroom (seats 900).
• Student Union Gallagher Theater (seats 340).
• Koffler Room 204 (seats 304).
• Integrated Learning Center Room 120 (seats 300).
• Modern Languages Room 350 (seats 318).
• Selected sessions in the Social Sciences Auditorium (seats 500).

For individuals who are unable to secure tickets in advance, a percentage of the seats in each of these venues will be held for walk-ins . All other venues will seat on a first-come, first-seated basis.

To reserve your free tickets, go to tucsonfestivalofbooks.org (beginning at noon Mountain Standard Time on Monday, Feb. 25).

More about tickets below.

Book sales

The University of Arizona BookStores is the official book seller of the festival. Buy books at any of its tents throughout the festival. Friends of the Festival receive a 10 percent discount on general book purchases in their main store — not just during the festival but year-round. Many exhibitors may also be booksellers and may be hosting author signings. Please limit yourself to three books per author signing. Schedule changes will be posted at tucsonfestivalofbooks.org

Why attend both days?

Everything is a unique program. If you can’t attend Saturday, you will have great options on Sunday. Attending both days is even better because our sessions are new during each time slot. It’s nearly impossible to attend presentations, panels and workshops and have time to check out what’s happening at all the booths and tents in just one day.

Lost and found

Items will be collected at information booths. After the festival, unclaimed items will be turned over to the UA Student Union Information Desk, 621-7755.

First aid

Medical tents are on the UA Mall near the Children’s Area in front of the Psychology Building, in front of the Chemistry Building and near the East Food Court.

Accessibility

If you need information about accessibility or assistive listening devices, go to tucsonfestivalofbooks.org and click on Disability Access Information .

The University of Arizona’s BIO5 Institute and College of Science are proud to co-host Science City, the largest STEM-themed event in Arizona.

Science City is a community-based celebration of science designed to spark curiosity and encourage literacy. Experience the connection between daily life and advances in science, and learn about groundbreaking research being done at the UA.

Ignite your senses with hands-on activities, exciting demonstrations and informative talks for all ages in thematic neighborhoods and stages spanning the exciting worlds of science, technology, engineering, math and health. Explore our science-rich campus by participating in open houses, tours and events.

Luis Alberto Urrea is a prolific and acclaimed writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss and triumph. He will be presented with the 2019 Tucson Festival of Books Founders Award at the festival’s Authors Dinner Friday, March 1.

A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his landmark work of non-fiction “The Devil’s Highway,” Urrea is also the bestselling author of 17 books including “The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” “Into the Beautiful North,” “Queen of America,” The Water Museum, (a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist) and his latest novel “The House of Broken Angels.”

In all, more than 100 cities and colleges have chosen one of his books for a community read. Among many other honors, Urrea received the Lannan Literary Award, an Edgar Award, and a 2017 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature.

Born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and American mother, he lives outside of Chicago and teaches at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Urrea has attended the Tucson Festival of Books each year and has made a lasting impression on our community. He is and always be a favorite among the patrons.

Previous TFOB Founders Award Recipients include:

• Elmore Leonard, 2011.

• Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, 2012.

• R.L. Stine, 2013.

• Richard Russo, 2014.

• Rock Bottom Remainders, 2015.

• J. A. Jance, 2016.

• T.C. Boyle, 2017.

• Billy Collins, 2018.

Beyond Bread, Main Food Court

Blue Banjo BBQ Catering, Main Food Court

BrushFire BBQ Co., Science City

BrushFire Ice Creamery, Main Library

Country Lemonade, Main Library

Eegee’s, in front of Optical Science Building

Fresco Pizzeria & Pastaria, Main Food Court

Frost Gelato, north of Main Food Court

Hawaiian Shave Ice, Main Mall at Cherry

Hot Bamboo, West Food Court

Hot Pops Kettle Corn, Main Mall at Cherry

Jack’s Thai BBQ, Main Food Court

Jake’s Lemonade, north of Main Food Court

Just Churros, Science City

Kabob Shack, Science City

Lemons on the Loose, north walkway Teen Stage

Lil Orbits Mini Cinnamon Donuts, Science City

Mutts Premium Hot Dogs and Sausages, Science City

New Delhi Palace, Science City

Nutz About Nuts, Main Mall at Cherry

Renee’s Organic Oven, Main Food Court

SpunLight Cotton Candy, Science City

The Corn Roasters, Main Food Court

Tucson Tamale Company, Main Food Court

Explore UA’s science-rich campus. Hours vary by open house. All are open on Saturday with the Mirror Lab, National Optical Astronomy Observatory and Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium open both days.

Arizona State Museum

1013 E. University Blvd.

Meet curators, visit laboratories and tour collections areas at the Arizona State Museum.

Department of Computer Science

Gould-Simpson Building, Room 927A

Explore computer science with research presentations, games and coding workshops.

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

950 N. Cherry Ave.

Walk into a life-sized camera at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.

SOCk — Student Optics Chapter

Meinel Optical Sciences

Discover the wonders of light-based devices on the Museum of Optics tour.

UA Insect Collection

Forbes Building, Room 403

Tour the largest insect collection in Arizona. Tickets: Science City Visitor Center.

UA Herbaria

Herring Hall, Room 100

Plants and fungi. Tour a research museum and try activities for all ages.

UA Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium

1601 E. University Blvd.

Dive into the new Sharks exhibit and explore the wonders of science through FullDome Planetarium shows ($5), free hands-on exhibits.

UA Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

Bryant Bannister Tree Ring Building

Discover tree-ring science, hear a lecture from Craig Childs, author of “Atlas of the Lost World” at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Open house 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

UA Museum of Natural History

Biological Sciences East

Tour Arizona’s most-comprehensive zoological museum for free. Tickets: Science City Visitor Center.

UA Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab

527 N. National Championship Drive

Come see the innovation at the UA Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Tickets: Science City Visitor Center.

Native American history, arts and culture are a theme of the 2019 Tucson Festival of Books. Here are a few events with Native American authors and artists to help you learn about them.

Brandon Hobson, Native American author and a National Book Award finalist, winner Sigrid Nunez and fellow finalist Rebecca Makkai will discuss their works at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 3, in the Student Union North Ballroom. This is a ticketed event.

Hobson will join authors Leif Enger and T. Greenwood in discussing how they develop characters that are authentic and relatable at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 2, in the Student Union Sabino Room.

Lynda Loigman, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner will join Hobson to discuss Finding Family at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 2, in the Student Union Sabino Room.

In The Tilt of History, Native American author David Treuer and author Steven Zipperstein will discuss how single moments in time can affect generations. The event is 11:30 a.m. Saturday March 2, in Koffler Room 218.

Treuer will discuss How Truthful is History? At 2:30 p.m. Saturday March 2, in the Integrated Learning Center Room 141.

Native American author Cynthia Leitech Smith writes for the YA audience. She and authors Sayantani DasGupta, Ellen Hagan and Renée Watson will discuss the OwnVoices movement and the importance of books for children by authors telling stories from within their own cultures at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, March 3 in Education Room 353.

Smith and Kiersten White will talk about their works concerning Vampires and Werewolves and 1 p.m. Sunday, March 3 at the Teen & Author Stage.

Smith will join authors Megan Shepherd and White for Trends in YA Literature at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3 in Education Room 333.

Celebrated Native American author Ron Querry and Luis Alberto Urrea will speak in Fuerza: Women of Color in Southwestern Literature at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 2, and the Nuestras Raices/Presentation Stage.

In Our Stories: Indigenous Youth Connecting with Native Literature, author Celeste Trimble will present student authors from the Tohono O’odham Nation who will read from their recent works. The presentation is at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Teen & Author Stage.

Navajo trader Edison Eskeets will share stories about the history and design of handcrafted Navajo rugs from the Hubbell Trading Post. See the rugs and hear the stories at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 2, and 11:30 a.m. Sunday, March 3, at the National Parks Experience.

Richard Rogers discusses the meaning and function of Native American rock art at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 3 at the Science City Main Stage.

Flute player Gary Stroutsos and ethnomusician Matthew Nelson will play selections from their recent recording Ongtupqa, the Hopi name for Grand Canyon, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the National Parks Experience.

You’re planning to attend the Tucson Festival of Books and are excited to see “Ed Asner: The Grouchy Historian” and “The Women Who Shaped Donald Trump.”

You see on the schedule that these are ticketed events. How much is that going to cost?

Ticketed events are free. Some of the more popular events are ticketed so you don’t have to wait in line for an hour or more to be sure you get in.

There are six venues at the festival for which tickets are offered in advance. They are:

• Student Union North Ballroom (seats 900)
• Student Union Gallagher Theater (seats 340)
• Koffler Room 204 (seats 304)
• Modern Languages Room 350 (seats 318)
• Integrated Learning Center Room 120 (seats 300)
• Social Sciences Auditorium (seats 500) — this venue has only two events: 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2.

Friends of the Festival donors at the $125 level or higher have had opportunities already to get tickets. But the festival committee has made sure no one can corral all the tickets, so even if you aren’t a Friend of the Festival, you should be able to get tickets to the presentation you most want to see. Tickets are available online only.

Beginning at noon on Monday, Feb. 25, you may go online at tucsonfestivalofbooks.org, click on the link for free tickets, choose the event you want to see more than any other and click the event title. Fill out and submit the reservation form.

You may get two tickets to any ticketed event — or one ticket to each of two events — between noon Monday and noon Tuesday.

Beginning at noon Tuesday, you may get two more tickets to ticketed events. If you didn’t get tickets between noon Monday and noon Tuesday, you may get four tickets beginning at noon Tuesday. However, you may get a maximum of two tickets per program.

At noon Wednesday, you may get two more, and two more again beginning at noon Thursday. Ticket “sales” close at noon Friday, March 1.

Plan ahead. Because some venues may “sell” out, it is wise to choose the one you most want to attend on Monday.

Once you complete the reservation form, you should receive a confirmation email within 24 hours with the electronic tickets. If you don’t get it, check your spam folder. Save the tickets to your smartphone for entry to the program or print them.

If you lose the email, don’t worry. There will be volunteers outside the venue who can help as long as you completed and submitted the reservation form.

If you get to the festival and realize you want to see a ticketed event that you failed to notice earlier, rest easy. A percentage of seats are held for those who missed the opportunity to get tickets.

If you find you won’t be using your tickets, you may give them away, but selling them is prohibited.

Navigate the festival with the Tucson Festival of Books app on your smart phone. You can download the app from the Google Play Store or iTunes Store.

Use it to mark sessions you don't want to miss and see the menu of food vendors. Use the map to find the booths you want to check out.

If you had the app from a previous year, make sure you have the latest version.