Bibliophiles unite! Storytellers, authors, illustrators, artists and readers alike are invited to indulge in a day of 40 exhibitors, presentations from two special speakers, five workshops, coffee and, of course, books at the Florence Festival of Books. Author, radio host, and urological surgeon Dr. Scott Donaldson — locally known in South Carolina as “the vasectomy king” — will kick off the day at 9:30 am as a keynote speaker. Donaldson regales his readers with a humorous but poignant account of his life in his book Urological Surgery & Lite Haulin: Reflections of a Small Town Surgeon. At 10:30 am, head over to the exhibit hall to meet renowned authors, artists and publishers. Exhibitors include A. Lynn Ash, author of Eugeneana: Memoir of an Oregon Hometown; appreciator of Oregon’s natural landscape and children’s book author Connie Strome Bradley; Pat Edwards, historian and author of A History of Lorane, Oregon and the Siuslaw Valley and From Sawdust and Cider to Wine; and Joe R. Blakely, author of The Bellfountain Giant Killers. This year’s festival has expanded to include five workshops from poetry open mic with Big Wave Poetry Group to learning how to turn your ideas into a novel with author and retired journalist Ned Hickson. And this year’s workshops have an emphasis on supporting aspiring authors, says Florence Arts, Culture and Entertainment president Rachel Pearson. The day will close with a panel discussion at 4:30 pm led by Ken Babbs, founding member of the Merry Pranksters who co-wrote Last Go Round with Ken Kesey, and his recent memoir, Cronies, was published locally by Tsunami Books. Among other topics, Babbs will ponder the question: “How the heck did Lane County Oregon become such a hotbed of creativity?!” Attend the festival Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Florence Events Center to find out.

The Florence Festival of Books is 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince Street, Florence. Exhibit hall access is $2; keynote speakers are $5; all access, including workshops, is $10. Students 18 and under are admitted FREE.