It's hard to believe we're only nine weeks away from the kick-off of the 2018 National Black Book Festival. Plans for the event, which will be our 11th anniversary, are well underway and our line-up of featured authors for this year is complete. Multifaceted actress, comedian, author, and speaker, Kim Coles, will be a featured author at the 2018 NBBF on Saturday, Oct. 27 @ 3:00 p.m. Kim has delighted audiences all over the world for over 32 years including ground-breaking shows like "In Living Color" and "Living Single." This will be her first appearance at NBBF.

New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey will be featured this year as well on Saturday, Oct. 27 @ 2:00 p.m. Eric joined us at the 2012 NBBF and will return this year. His latest novel, Bad Men and Wicked Women, was released Apr. 17th and we will have copies on hand for purchase and signing, along with some of his backlist titles. Eric's other books include the bestsellers Genevieve, Drive Me Crazy, Naughty or Nice, The Other Woman, and Thieves' Paradise. Eric writes full time and is developing a six-issue mini-series of comic books for Marvel Enterprises featuring Storm (X-Men) and the Black Panther.

Additional featured authors (all confirmed) for the 2018 National Black Book Festival include the following:

Welcome to Houston Reception: For this year's welcome reception we've added the following to the program:
1) Authors who attend will experience a red-carpet moment to kick off the event;
2) We will have live entertainment with a local gospel soloist: Latrina Cook-Garrett (former member of Kirk Franklin and God's Property).
3) Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in our "Black History Trivia Game" and win door prizes.
Tickets for the Welcome Reception may be purchased online here: https://goo.gl/TEG4Jv

Become an NBBF Non-Profit Partner: If you are a member of a non-profit organization, you can raise your group's profile and expose your members to African-American literature by becoming an official Non-Profit Partner with the National Black Book Festival. The benefits are tremendous and the cost is minimal. Details are available online here: https://goo.gl/9S5RJ3  

Event Tickets: General admission (including author exhibits, seminars, and featured author sessions) to the 2018 NBBF is free. However, if you would like to attend our four special events you may purchase a Full Festival Package for only $85.00. The Full Festival Package includes the Welcome to Houston Reception, Get Acquainted Breakfast (Friday), Power Lunch (Friday), and Networking Breakfast (Saturday), all catered by Pappa's Catering, one of the leading regional restaurant chains in the South and Southwest. Order event tickets here: https://goo.gl/TEG4Jv

Friday Power Lunch: The NBBF Power Lunch on Friday, Oct. 26th at 12:00 Noon will feature a lunch buffet catered by Pappa's Catering, a keynote address by noted author Victor McGlothin, networking games and door prizes. McGlothin will address challenges authors face and the overall status of the publishing industry. Tickets are only $30.00/person and can be purchased online here: http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/eventtickets.htm.