As the leaves fall and the weather turns colder, it's a great time to curl up with a good book. Or better yet, crawl out from underneath that afghan, get out of the house and dive into the second annual Wisconsin Book Festival. Festival-goers will have a chance to see some of the most prominent writers working today—and discover some new favorites.

The 2003 Festival promises to be a major literary event, kicking off with five days of readings, book signings, workshops and other events in downtown Madison from Oct. 22-26. The Festival then continues throughout the year with literary events throughout the state.

The Madison "main event" spans a range of genres and interests: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, storytelling, events for children and families, and panels and workshops for writers or would-be writers. Even better, all events are free and open to the public. This year, nearly 200 authors will appear at more than 100 events. Search PortalWisconsin.org for Book Festival events, or go directly to the Festival site. The Festival Web site also includes biographical information about the authors and a recommended reading list.

Last year's Book Festival got this new tradition off to a stellar start. Over 8,000 people attended events in downtown Madison during the five days of the 2002 Festival. One of the 2002 highlights was the Friday Night Festival of Fiction, which filled the Orpheum Theatre almost to its capacity of 1,700 seats. "To have that large a turnout for a book event—especially a first-time event—is tremendously exciting," notes the Festival's associate director, Tilney Marsh. "The audience was riveted from start to finish."

The 2003 Festival will reprise the Friday Night Festival of Fiction in two "acts." Act One, at 7 p.m., will feature Jim Shepard, Margot Livesey, Pete Fromm, Sena Jeter Naslund and Stuart Dybek. Act Two, at 9:15 p.m., will feature Colson Whitehead, Heidi Julavits, April Reynolds and Brady Udall. Says Book Festival director Alison Jones Chaim, "The Friday Night Festival of Fiction celebrates some of the most prominent and promising voices in fiction today. It is a must-see event for anyone who loves to read."

The Book Festival, which is a project of the Wisconsin Humanities Council (WHC), will also mark the launch of another WHC initiative. "A More Perfect Union" seeks to explore America's political landscape, participatory democracy and questions of ethics in civic life. The kick-off event takes place on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 3:45 p.m. with a reading and discussion by acclaimed novelist Tim O'Brien, author of "In the Lake of the Woods." "A More Perfect Union" will continue throughout the year and around the state with "Wisconsin Reads," a program that encourages Wisconsinites to read a group of four books that address common themes. Further details about "A More Perfect Union" can be found on the WHC Web site.

This year's Book Festival will also incorporate a special partnership with the CineFest Nuestra America Film Festival. Some of today's most renowned Latino authors, artists and filmmakers will appear in Madison and special programming will highlight the connections between poetry, stories, books, music and film. Participants will include Hector Galan, Piri Thomas, John Santos, Luis Rodriguez and Nancy Morejon. (Read our feature story on CineFest for more information.)

The Wisconsin Book Festival, like the UW-Madison Arts Institute's Wisconsin Film Festival, is quickly becoming a much-loved cultural tradition in south-central Wisconsin. Check the official Festival Web site for late-breaking news and further information about events throughout the state that will take place during the next year.

Organizers of literary events outside of Madison can fill out a simple application to have their events designated as official Wisconsin Book Festival offerings, and may also apply for grants from the Wisconsin Humanities Council.