PLA special events feature best-selling adult, young adult, children’s authors

Speakers include David Baldacci, Ally Carter, Joyce Carol Oates, Jerry Pinkney

CHICAGO – A host of best-selling adult, young adult and children’s authors will speak at several special events during the Public Library Association’s (PLA) 2012 conference, held March 13 – 17 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Offered biennially, the PLA Conference offers more than 180 sessions focusing on such issues as e-books and other new technologies, digital access, budget cuts, advocacy, literacy and much more.

Thursday, March 15
12:15 – 1:45 p.m.       Adult Author Luncheon with David Baldacci
With his books published in over 45 languages and with over 110 million copies in print throughout 80 countries, David Baldacci is one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His best-selling novels include: “Absolute Power,” “Divine Justice” and “The Sixth Man.” From their home in Virginia, David and his wife founded the Wish You Well Foundation (www.wishyouwellfoundation.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America.

12:15 – 1:45 p.m.       Young Adult Author Luncheon with Ally Carter
Ally Carter is the New York Times best-selling author of the four previous books in the Gallagher Girls series, “I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You”; “Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy”; “Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover”; and “Only the Good Spy Young”; as well as “Heist Society” and its sequel, “Uncommon Criminals.”

6 – 8:30 p.m.              Audio Publishers Association Dinner
The PLA will also host an evening of engaging authors and audio voices featuring author Carl Hiaasen (“Hoot”); narrator Wanda McCaddon; author Lisa Scottoline (Rosato & Associates series); and author Karin Slaughter (“Beyond Reach”).

Friday, March 16
12:15 – 1:45 p.m.       Adult Author Luncheon to feature Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national best-sellers “We Were the Mulvaneys,” “Blonde,” which was nominated for the National Book Award and “The Falls,” which won the 2005 Prix Femina. Oates is a recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Book Award, the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

12:15 – 1:45 p.m.       Children’s Author Luncheon with Jerry Pinkney
Jerry Pinkney is an award-winning illustrator of over one hundred books for children, including classics, such as “Gulliver’s Travels,” “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Jungle Book.” His hope is to get readers of all ages to imagine a story through drawing and to “lead the viewer into a world that only exists because of that picture.” Pinkney has been awarded five Coretta Scott King Awards, four New York Times Best Illustrated Book Awards, and five Caldecott Honors in addition to the 2010 Caldecott Medal.

These special author events require preregistration and an additional fee. To learn more, visit http://www.placonference.org/specialevents#authorevents.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

For detailed program information please visit http://www.placonference.org/, or the PLA 2012 Web press kit at http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/presskits/pla2012/presskit. To schedule interviews or to register for conference press credentials, please contact Jennifer Petersen, ALA’s PR coordinator at 312-280-5043, jpetersen@ala.org.