A Book in the Hand (ABITH)

www.abookinthehand.jimdo.com

WHO: 

We celebrate the tactile pleasure of the printed page and the intimacy of the spoken word by inviting local authors of published prose to share their work with an audience of readers and authors.


 

WHERE and WHEN:

The Jacob Sears Memorial Library

23 Center Street, East Dennis, MA (Map below)

508-385-8151

The 2nd Monday of every month, from 7-8:30PM

 

HOW:

I founded the program in February 2009 as a venue for the authors of prose (all fiction and non-fiction) to discuss and sell their books.The late John Prophet (author of the Casey Miller Mystery Series) directed me to the Sears Library, and Phil Inman, its director. Phil and the Board of Directors were glad to give ABITH a home.

 

Two authors have half an hour each to use as they wish (power point is available, for example.) Following the second presentation there is a ten minute Q&A that both authors share (some questions lead to interesting discussions between the authors.) Next is the free raffle (each author is asked to donate a book), and the event concludes with a chance to meet and greet the authors, and buy a book if you choose.


WHAT:

Prose is, of course, any writing that is not poetry. ABITH is limited to published prose in printed book form only, and does not include poetry, essays, articles, plays or screen plays, or freestanding short stories. The short story that is one of several related by theme or characters, etc, bound in a book, is welcome. 

 

Every September is our Open-mic Night for authors of unpublished prose. The presented work need not be someone's first attempt (many  participating writers have a number of published books under their belts.) The time per person is 5-6 minutes, and the 16 readers appear in the order in which they signed up. This is an excellent opportunity to test your writing/ideas on a larger audience than you might be used to, and if you're new to reading and speaking in front of a group, it's an excellent opportunity to practice that skill.

 

A word about the audience. The Sears Library can seat 50-60 (squished a bit), although our average is about 20 people. But this group is attentive, enthusiastic, and very loyal. We are published authors, writers working toward publication, and readers---bibliophiles, all. We will always appreciate your effort.

 

We've had a wide variety of books at ABITH, from romance novels to memoirs to technical books, and each author brings his or her story with their work. The talks often include the writer's idea source or inspiration, research, publication experience, mixed in with a bit of bio. We never know what we'll hear.

 

Shelf Space is a special program of occasional events for writers and readers sponsored by ABITH. There have been three group book sales, two seminars (How to Find a Publisher and How to Market Your Book), and a talk by the Cape Cod Times Book Page editor, Melanie Lauwers. Please check the Shelf Space page for news about upcoming programs.

 

General Directions:

Go north on Rt. 134. Turn right onto 6A, and go east ¾ mile to School St. (opposite Airline Road, and a few yards from the Dennis/Brewster border.) Turn left onto School St. and take 2nd right onto Center St. The library is on the right. Parking is at the church across the street.

 

Please enlarge the map for more details.


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