Stacey Abrams is helping to re-ignite the Decatur Book Festival

The Decatur Book Festival went quiet for a year. With Stacey Abrams headlining children’s events, the Festival has come roaring back.

::

The major difference between the original 2002 publication of the thriller-romance novel, The Art of Desire, and its re-issue last September is how the author is named. In 2002, the world knew only Selena Montgomery. By 2023, she was “Stacey Abrams writing as Selena Montgomery” with “Stacey Abrams” in far larger type.

The fact that the Georgia politician, activist and lawyer has been able to not only maintain her political reputation but to grow it while simultaneously emerging as a longtime romance novelist is testament to Abrams’ power and standing in Democratic politics.

Now building on a turn as a nonfiction writer (her books on civic engagement are New York Times bestsellers), Abrams is well into her third genre: children’s books. Her upcoming Stacey Speaks Up is part of her ongoing Stacey’s Stories series begun in 2021.

Abrams will share the book — illustrated by Kitt Thomas — as the “kidnote” speaker in this year’s Decatur Book Festival, which returns this October after a one-year hiatus.

According to Abrams, the Festival “has always been a vibrant autumn event that ushers in great stories and welcomes the community to join in the bounty.” It launched in 2005, hosting more than 3,500 authors between 2006 and 2020 and eventually grew into one of the country’s largest independent book festivals, with an average yearly attendance of 60,000 people.

Though Abrams was writing and publishing books long before she was involved in Georgia politics and has long been a fixture in the Atlanta literary community, her work in politics has expanded her importance far beyond books. Her unique background makes her appearance timely, but Executive Director Leslie Wingate said that cultural and political controversy were not part of the decision to feature her as the Festival’s kidnote speaker. “Stacey’s a longtime supporter of the Festival,” she explained in an interview. “And the timing of her book publication happens to fall in line with our Festival, so it’s all perfect.”

Not far from Abrams’ typical milieu, however, the rest of the 2024 Festival will include exhibits and panels related to timely political and social issues. The lineup will include a conversation with author Amanda Jones about her book That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, and authors Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone will host a panel on their book Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve. Inspired by a banned book display at indie bookstore Eagle Eye Books, a Festival sponsor, Wingate suggests that a similar exhibit may also be included in this year’s Festival.

Abrams’ participation in the 2024 event illustrates how the Festival’s new leadership intends to build on its previous structure while increasing its flexibility. Though the kidnote speech has long been a Festival feature, organizers decided to make it a cornerstone event this year due to Abrams’ popularity. “We needed the largest space we had to accommodate that program,” Wingate said. In fact, the festival decided to make it the opening event of the day. “I don’t know if we’ve ever done that with a children’s book. But why not?”

::

Rachel Wright has a Ph.D. from Georgia State University and an MA from the University College Dublin, both in creative writing. Her work has appeared in The Stinging Fly and elsewhere. She is currently at work on a novel.