Rough schedule – for travel planning purposes

We are in the middle of planning the hour-by-hour schedule of events for Booktopia:Oxford, but it will be a little while before everything is completed. So here’s a general idea of what events are happening and when.

Friday:
If it’s possible to arrive by 12 noon on Friday, you won’t miss a thing. We will have a few small group sessions on Friday afternoon.

Booktopia kickoff: Will be somewhere between 4-6pm on Friday.

Saturday:
Small group sessions throughout the day, from about 10am – 4pm, at various venues around Oxford.

A Celebration of Authors – Saturday at 5pm, at one of the Square Books locations.

Sunday:
Last discussion, and Closing, with entire group, probably from 10am – noon, though this has not yet been confirmed.

A reminder that all sessions are optional for our guests, so please enjoy the weekend and schedule at your leisure.

We will have small group session sign-ups a few weeks before the event.

 

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Announcing the author lineup for Booktopia:Oxford

Here’s the message you’ve all been waiting for: the list of the authors who will be at Booktopia:Oxford.

I know that some of you are eager to begin reading, so without further adieu…

   

  

• Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Illumination
• Ellen F. Brown, author of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, A Bestseller’s Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood
• Tom Franklin, author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
• Russ Kick, editor of The Graphic Canon (this is an amazing 3-volume project, check it out!)
• Suzanne Marrs, Eudora Welty’s biographer and the author of What There Is to Say We Have Said: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell
• Michael Parker, author of TheWatery Part of the World
• Jesmyn Ward, 2011 winner of the National Book Award for her novel Salvage the Bones
• Richard Mason, author of History of a Pleasure Seeker — newly added!! Richard had such a great time at Booktopia:VT that he has decided to join us in Oxford!

I hope you’ll agree that this is a stellar lineup and we should have many wonderful discussions. More details about the schedule, etc. will follow in the coming months, but now you can start reading. But please remember, there is no expectation that you will have read any or all of our authors’ books before the Booktopia weekend, and we try to make it a spoiler-free zone.

If you are on the waiting list, rest assured that it is still relatively short and that there is a good chance that you will be able to have a space. We will notify you when there is an opening.

Can’t wait to see all of you in Mississippi,

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Oxford, Mississippi

June 15-17, 2012

 

Oxford, Mississippi is the home of our second Booktopia 2012 retreat. We chose Oxford because of its fabulous independent bookstore, Square Books, but the fact that it’s the home of William Faulkner adds a level of literary cachet that seems fitting. This LA Times article is a nice piece on the Faulkner connection.

Update: The New York Times ran a lovely article in the Sunday travel section about Oxford on October 16th, 2011. It makes me want to leave for Mississippi right now.

Square Books:

Michael and I have been hearing about Square Books for our entire careers, from our sales rep friends who are lucky enough to work with the wonderful booksellers at Square Books. Plus, they have a podcast! We are so excited to be visiting this legendary bookstore with our Books on the Nightstand friends.

I lifted this description from Square Books’ website, because it made me want to get on a plane immediately:

Square Books is a general independent bookstore in three separate buildings (about 100 feet apart) on the historic town square of Oxford, Mississippi, home of the University of Mississippi and many great writers, including William Faulkner, Barry Hannah, Larry Brown, and, for a time, both Willie Morris and John Grisham.  The main store, Square Books, is in a two-story building with a cafe and balcony on the second floor; Off Square Books is a few doors down from the main store and has lifestyle sections such as gardening and cookbooks; and Square Books Jr, the children’s bookstore, is in a building on the east side of the square.  Square Books is known for its strong selection of literary fiction, books on the American South and by Southern writers, a large inventory of reduced-price remainders, and its emphasis on books for children.  The store hosts the popular Thacker Mountain radio show and over 150 author events a year.

Lodging:

The Downtown Oxford Inn is our official lodging partner, and we have  a block of rooms set aside at the rate of $119 plus tax. Rooms will be held until May 17th, at which time they will be released for sale to the general public and the group rate will not apply. There is a choice of rooms with one or two beds. Please tell them when you book that you are with the Books on the Nightstand group. Phone (662-234-3031).

Other area lodging:

• The 512 Oxford  (662-234-8043) – B & B just a short walk from the Square. Very convenient. 512 Van Buren, Oxford, MS 38655  (call for reservations)
• Holiday Inn Express (236-2500) 112 Heritage Drive
• The Inn at Ole Miss (662-234-2331) Located on the campus of University of Mississippi. Recently renovated.
• Puddin’ Place (234 1250) – another B & B, also close. suites and a cottage:
• Castle Hill Resort & Club (236-9601) – 5 miles outside of Oxford.
• The Z (713-927-1295) – a B & B just a few blocks from the Square on Pierce Avenue.

Transportation:

We’ve been told by locals that you should fly into Memphis Airport, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes from Oxford. Memphis is a hub for Northwest airlines. Do not be tempted to fly into the Tupelo, MS airport because it’s only 10 miles closer to Oxford then Memphis, and a connecting flight (usually in Memphis) would be required. I would trust that advice.

Registration Status:

As of March 1, 2012, Booktopia2012:Oxford has just 15 spots remaining.