Jonathan Franzen to be 2010 Decatur Book Fest keynote speaker

More than 300 authors make up this year’s line-up, and that’s NOT including an appearance by Rosanne Cash Aug. 14

AJC Decatur Bookfest’s Tom Bell has announced that National Book Award-winner Jonathan Franzen will be the keynote speaker for the 2010 festival.  The Corrections author will publish his first book in nine years, Freedom: A Novel, on Aug. 31—  just days before the DBF’s fifth annual event kicks off Labor Day weekend.

Again, more than 300 authors will take part in this year’s fest, including:

Diana Gabaldon, author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, ...who hosted standing-room-only crowds at the 2009 festival. ... Pulitzer Prize winner David Finkle, George Dawes Green, founder of The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, young adult author Cassandra Clare, adult and young adult author Ridley Pearson, and New York Times bestseller Emily Giffin.

In anticipation of the festival, the DBF and A Cappella Books are bringing Rosanne Cash to Agnes Scott College Aug. 14 to read from her memoir and play a few songs. She’ll perform on a custom Martin D40 guitar, which she’ll sign and then will be auctioned off to benefit the festival’s literacy efforts.