This Saturday, the first-ever Twentynine Palms Book Festival will take place downtown and feature a variety of free activities for the literary-minded.

Featuring the tagline, “Celebrating the Frontier Spirit,” the debut of the Twentynine Palms Book Festival this Saturday will feature live sessions, author interviews, and book signings. With 31 authors participating, the free festival will take place primarily at Corner 62, 73552 29 Palms Hwy, or at the Twentynine Palms Community Center, just across the street at Freedom Plaza. Created by Patrick Zuchowicki, the day-long festival will also include the Desert Writers Guild’s book fair, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., in the covered patio beside the Twentynine Palms Community Center.

All live sessions will take place at the Twentynine Palms Community Center in Freedom Plaza at 6547 Freedom Way:

• 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – “Where the Hell is Twentynine Palms?” – a kickoff session that illustrates the city with historical anecdotes.
• 12:45 p.m.-2:15 p.m. – “Books Don’t Need Chargers” – a session devoted to helping parents pass along a literary love to their kids.
• 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. – “Indie Book Store Life in the Mojave Desert” – a session that explores the joys and challenges of the independent book seller in the desert.
• 3:45 p.m.– 4:45 p.m. – “We Love You, Louis L’Amour!” – a session that explores the unique tradition of Western fiction.
• 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – “Voices From the High Desert” – a session that will spotlight several authors who create and thrive in the Mojave.
• 6:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – “Desert Dreams and Cosmic Realities: Exploring UFO Literature and the Psychedelic ‘Saturation 70’ Film” – the session will explore the birth and resurgence of UFO literature.
• 7:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – “Exploring Desert Noir: Mojave’s Impact on Crime Fiction” – the session will delve into how the haunting desert landscape has inspired crime novelists.

All book signings will take place at Corner 62, 73552 29 Palms Hwy, unless *otherwise noted.

• 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. – Deanne Stillman, author of “Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West.”
• *9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Michael G. Vail and Francis Moss will be available to sign the Guild’s latest book at the Twentynine Palms Community Center.
• 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Jardine Libaire, author of “You’re An Animal.”
• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Tod Goldberg, author of “Gangsters Don’t Die.”
• Noon – 1:00 p.m. – Ivy Pochoda, author of “Sing Her Down.”
• 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Claire Vaye Watkins, author of “I Love You but I Have Chosen Darkness.”
• 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. – Barbara Gothard, author of “Contradictions: Bringing the Past Forward.”
• 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. – Jennifer Brody, author of “The 13th Continuum: The Continuum Trilogy.”
• 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. – KC Grifant, author of “Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger.”
• 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. – Chris Tiffany, author of “One with the creosote – Memories of a Desert Child.”
• 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. – William Hillyard, author of “Welcome to Wonder Valley: Ruin and Redemption in an American Galapagos.”
• *9:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. – Warner Graves, author of “Postcards From Mecca” will sign books at Mas O Menos, 66031 29 Palms Highway, in Joshua Tree. (Live music provided by singer-songwriter, Tony Gilkyson.)

Other notable events include:

• 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. – “Zines 101: What is a zine and how to make one!” – hosted by local artist, Jillian Sandell, at Hi Desert Times at Corner 62.
• 8:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. – “Mojave Noir,” a reading series featuring crime authors at Mara Restaurant, 73511 29 Palms Highway. Wine and appetizers available, with music by composer Lee Scott. (Suggested donation, $10, to benefit Mil-Tree.)
• 9:30 p.m.-11:55 p.m. – “Postcards From Mecca,” – the official Closing Party that will pay tribute to the adventures of Susie Keef Smith and Lula Mae Graves, fearless cousins who explored the desert 1916-1936. At Mas O Menos, 66031 29 Palms Highway, in Joshua Tree. (Live music provided by singer-songwriter, Tony Gilkyson.)

For more info: https://www.29pbf.com/