2019 Milford Readers & Writers Festival

Readers. Writers. Conversation.

Tickets Available Starting Fri 9/20 at 4 pm, Sat 9/21 at 9 am and Sun 9/22 at 9 am at St Patrick's Hall, 111 E High St, Milford, PA

SEPTEMBER 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2019

The 4th Annual Milford Readers and Writers Festival aims to inspire and ignite conversations between people who love to read books and people who write them.

The Main Stage schedule (below) comprise the ticketed program. The exact time each program begins will be added as the schedule finalizes; at this stage just the day is indicated. Other free programs with many authors will be held all over Milford; please see www.milfordreadersandwriters.com for details.

Festival passes are now available for purchase. Single tickets to individual programs will be available at a later date (usually around mid-summer).

A Festival pass will allow the bearer admission to every ticketed part of the festival program, as well as the private Author's Reception held on Saturday evening.

MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE

Friday September 20, 2019 (evening)

FROM QUEEN OF MEAN TO QUEEN OF MEANING

Star funny woman and master of insult comedy Lisa Lampanelli talks about why she quit Stand-Up to dedicate her life to running transformational workshops and performing storytelling shows. Today, she is a certified life coach sharing her powerful message of personal empowerment with others. She will be in conversation with Carol McManus, social media strategist and author of books on reinventing one’s life.

Saturday September 21, 2019 (program runs from morning to late afternoon)

TWENTY MILLION BOOKS LATER: A CONVERSATION WITH ANNE PERRY

Anne Perry, the prolific international bestselling author of historical mystery fiction, including the hugely successful and long running Thomas Pitt series and William Monk series, will talk about her work with writer and editor Victoria Zackheim.

LAST BOAT OUT OF SHANGHAI: A CONVERSATION WITH HELEN ZIA

Author and activist Helen Zia will speak about her new book “Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese who Fled Mao’s Revolution” and how she discovered her mother’s harrowing long hidden past. She will be joined by Princeton University professor Anna Cheng to discuss this fascinating historical period.

TELLING SECRETS : WRITING ABOUT THE CIA

Former Deputy Director of the CIA and “spymaster”Jack Devine ,author of “Good Hunting”, will talk with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Tim Weiner, author of National Book Award winner “Legacy of Ashes – The History of the CIA” about the challenges of writing about an organization steeped in secrets. The discussion will be moderated by journalist and author Lucian Truscott IV.

Dick Cavett has had to cancel due to health problems. We wish him a speedy recovery.

LIFE IN THE AFTER LIFE

Internationally acclaimed psychic/medium George Anderson, author of the best-seller “We Won’t Die” who is considered to be the “gold standard” of mediums and is credited with bringing mediumship into the mainstream will speak about his work communicating to the afterlife. He will be joined by Dr. Eben Alexander, author of the best seller “ Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife” who will talk about his near death experience while in a medically induced coma. The panel will be moderated by author and editor Megan Smith Harris.

Sunday September 22 (program runs from morning to early afternoon)

OUR CONSTITUTION UNDER SIEGE

Judge Andrew Napolitano, author and Fox News senior legal analyst returns to the Festival to discuss the major constitutional challenges now facing our nation with Jeffrey Rosen, author, law professor, and President of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The panel will be moderated by author and Milford Mayor Sean Strub.

IN THE COMPANY OF LEGENDS WITH JOAN KRAMER AND DAVID HEELEY

This is their insiders’ view of the famous and the powerful: Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Lew Wasserman, Ronald Reagan, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Jane Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, Audrey Hepburn, and Bette Davis, among others. Kramer and Heeley’s behind the scenes stories of the productions and the personalities involved are amusing, sometimes moving, often revealing, and have never been told before including rare film clips.

For further details or information on many other programs--all free of charge--please go to www.milfordreadersandwriters.com.

FAQs

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Festival passes purchased online can be picked up at registration in St Patrick's Church Hall on E High St. in Milford. Festival passes allow access to all festival events.

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

Yes.

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn't match the person who attends?

Yes.

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

Milford is located 70 miles from New York City, right where the states of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey meet. There is frequent bus service to Milford from the Port Authority in New York City and MetroNorth trains go to Port Jervis, New York, which is eight miles from Milford. Cab services are availble to meet train passengers.

What can/can't I bring to the event?

The theater does not allow any outside food or beverages and the festival is a smoke-free event.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Email PikeArtworks@gmail.com

Will the featured authors sign books?

Yes, there will be scheduled book signings with the Main Stage authors, as well as many more who will be participating in other aspects of the festival's program. A "pop-up" bookstore will be operating during the festival..

Where can I stay overnight?

There are a number of great lodging options in Milford that can be found at milfordpa.us

What else is there to do in Milford?

Milford is a classic American small town, the Pike County, PA, seat and the north gate to the 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Park. About 75% of Milford comprises a National Historic District with great architecture, attractive boutiques, galleries and specialty shops. Heritage attractions include Grey Towers National Historic Site, the Pike County Historical Society's Columns Museum, with its famous collection of Lincolnalia, and more. Raymondskill Falls, the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania, is three miles from Milford village.