The West Virginia University Press will be launching two new titles from its Vandalia Press imprint at the third annual West Virginia Book Festival Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 11-12) at the Charleston Civic Center. The free event is a celebration of books and reading focusing on the West Virginia and Appalachian region.

“We do this to bring to the publics attention the caliber of authors [from the region] that are putting out books for the public to read,”said Pam May, publicity coordinator for the festival.

Members of the WVU Press editorial and marketing staff will be offering free consultations with authors on submitting manuscripts to publishers and marketing self-published books.

“This festival is a real gift to West Virginians,”said Geoff George, marketing director for the Press.”There is no other opportunity to meet so many authors from the state at once, and WVU Press is pleased to be sponsoring several of the approximately 50 programs that take place during the two-day event.”

WVU Press author Lee Maynard will give a reading at 3 p.m. Saturday from the sequel to”Crum”entitled”Screaming with the Cannibals,”which will be released for sale for the first time at the festival. He will also be teaming up with fellow Appalachian writer Chuck Kinder for a program called”Outlaw Literature”at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Irene McKinney, W. Va. Poet Laureate, will be joined by some of the 22 contributors to”Backcountry: Contemporary Writing in West Virginia,”published last fall by Vandalia Press, for a reading at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Meredith Sue Willis, contributor to”Backcountry”and author of”Oradell at Sea”her latest novel, which was also published last fall by Vandalia Presswill be on hand to give a writing workshop called”Getting Your Novel Started”at 3 p.m. Saturday.

And Jim Clark, award winning nature photographer, will be presenting his musical slide show program entitled”Mason Jars and Memories”at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and again at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. Clark is the newest Vandalia Press author whose large-format book of photographs and essays from West Virginia entitled”Mountain Memories: An Appalachian Sense of Place”will also be released for sale for the first time at the book festival.

The entire list of books published by the WVU Press will be on display throughout the weekend alongside other exhibiting publishers and bookstores from throughout the state and region. For more information, call 1-866-WVU-PRESS (988-7737).