KEENE, N.H. 10/15/03 - A Newbery Honor Award winner and a writer-photographer who has worked on archeological sites with the Leakey family in Kenya are two of the featured speakers at the 27th annual Children's Literature Festival, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Keene State College.

This year's festival again features some of the top authors and illustrators in the field of children's literature as well as a book sale, the sale of original art, a gallery of illustrations, and a reception.

Begun in 1978, the day-long festival has grown from a small, regional conference to an annual gathering of more than 700 authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians, and other children's literature enthusiasts from the United States and Canada.

Festival speakers include Kate DiCamillo, the author of Because of Winn-Dixie and the National Book Award finalist The Tiger Rising; Peter Lourie, an adventurer whose books, including On the Trail of Lewis and Clark and Amazon, explore peoples and places in the United States and around the world; Robert D. San Souci, author of 80 books for children, including Sukey and the Mermaid and The Talking Eggs; Marcia Sewall, author and illustrator of The Pilgrims of Plimoth and People of the Breaking Day, and illustrator of many other books ; and Stephen Swinburne, photographer, naturalist, and author of Unbeatable Beaks and The Woods Scientist.

In addition to the presentations, a new festival poster, featuring 32 owls - the Keene State mascot - created by well-known children's illustrators, will be available for purchase. Among illustrators who created the owls, using a range of techniques including plasticine, handmade paper, woodcuts, and digital imagery, are David McPhail, Natalie Babbitt, Marcia Sewall, and Irish artist J.P. Lynch. The proceeds of the posters, which cost $10, are used to pay for the purchase and framing of art for the Children's Literature Festival Gallery Collection displayed in Rhodes Hall.

People interested in attending should call 603-358-2302 to see if seats remain. The cost is $65, or $32.50 for full-time college students who submit copies of their college IDs with registration materials. An optional lunch is available for $8.

To register, send your name and address, along with a check payable to Keene State College, to Dr. David E. White, Festival Director, Keene State College, 229 Main St., Keene, NH 03435-2611. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope. Fees are non-refundable.

For more information, contact Dr. White at 603-358-2302 or visit the festival web site at www.keene.edu/clf.

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