2017 Decatur Book Festival Begins Friday

DECATUR, GA -- Starting Friday, The city of Decatur will be the center of the literature-loving universe as the Decatur Book Festival, the largest independent book festival in the United States, kicks off.

A number of local imprints are involved this year, including children's bookstore Little Shop of Stories, a longtime stronghold in Decatur. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Check out the schedule for the 2017 Decatur Book Festival

This year's festival is of note because Daren Wang, its co-founder, is stepping down as executive. Wang is also releasing his first novel, "The Hidden Light Of Northern Fires" at the event.

Wang told Patch that one thing that has amazed him about the event is "the cohesiveness that has developed within the book and writing community here in Atlanta."

The region has long had literary greats (Margaret Mitchell and more) but the culture has grown to become a true around ecosystem, Wang said.

"Atlanta has always had pockets of literary activity, but the festival has helped to connect those people and different groups in ways that would have been hard to imagine fifteen years ago. I think that elevates the writing community in important ways."

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If you're a fan of books, the written word in general and even the spoken word, this is a can't-miss event.

Read more: Patch Q&A with Decatur Book Festival co-founder Daren Wang

Festival organizers are expected more than 80,000 people at the event, which runs from Sept. 1-3 in downtown Decatur.

Image via Craig Johnson / Patch