Readers, writers, artists, poets, and anyone who appreciates the written word are invited to the second annual Central Wisconsin Book Festival! The four-day festival returns September 27 and runs through September 30 at various venues throughout the Wausau area.

The Marathon County Public Library collaborated with several community partners to bring a variety of authors, poets, artists and experts to the Wausau area for readings, presentations and lectures! Events will be spread around the area between MCPL’s Wausau Headquarters (300 N. First St., Wausau), Janke Book Store (505 Third St., Wausau), the UW Center for Civic Engagement (625 Stewart Ave., Wausau), Barnes & Noble (3400 Rib Mountain Drive, Wausau), the Center for the Visual Arts (427 N. Fourth St., Wausau) and Sconni’s Alehouse & Eatery (1239 Schofield Ave., Schofield).

The line-up of events consists 19 events, including a reading by four published University of Wisconsin system educators; a presentation on Wisconsin haunts with authors Craig Nehring and Enid Cleaves; an art and poetry exhibit at the Center for the Visual Arts; a live community storytelling event hosted by author and radio producer Charles Monroe-Kane; a literary tour of presidential graves and monuments with Wisconsin Public Radio’s Brady Carlson; an introduction to podcasting, also with Monroe-Kane; a presentation on book publishing with author Kenneth Farmer; a presentation on lakes with author Ted Rulseh; a reading with children’s author Maysee Yang Herr; a look at Wisconsin’s jazz history with author Kurt Dietrich; a workshop with comic book artist Duachaka Her; street poetry with poet Paul Wiegel; a presentation on the state’s old-growth forests with author John Bates; a talk with mystery novelist Patricia Skalka; a young writer’s showcase with local students; an intro to blogging with blogger Alice Mills; a visit from Montana Poet Laureate Lowell Jaeger; and a visit from Dan Kaufman, author of The Fall of Wisconsin, a book that’s been making waves and attracting attention nationwide.

All events will be free to attend, with only a select few requiring pre-registration! Call 715-261-7230 for more information or visit www.mcpl.us/cwbf.

Funding and promotional support for this year’s festival is provided by the Community Arts Grant Program of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Arts Board, a state agency, the Community Foundation, the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation, the Marathon County Public Library Foundation, the Friends of the Marathon County Public Library, Wisconsin Public Radio, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wausau Lecture & Fine Arts series, the Center for the Visual Arts, Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, Barnes & Noble and Janke Book Store.