Our 18th Annual Author Awards event is almost here! In a week we will gather in Birmingham to celebrate our favorite authors of 2009. It is our pleasure to host this wonderful weekend. Below is the weekend schedule.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Welcome to Birmingham! Arrive early and explore the city.

Vanessa Davis Griggs

Vanessa Davis Griggs

  • 4:00pm - 7:00 pm - Early Registration (Convention Registration Desk)
  • 7:00pm - 10:00pm - SweetTea & SisterStores (Buckingham Room) Featuring special guest Vanessa Davis Griggs (The Truth is the Light) Moderated by authors Pastor Leona N. Welch (God of the Parking Lot) and Dr. Askhari Johnson Hodari (Lifelines: The Black Book of Proverbs)

Come enjoy this interactive experience, complete with a scavenger hunt, trial to triumph stories and book prizes!

Friday, June 11, 2010

  • 10:00am - 5:00pm - Registration (Convention Registration Desk)
  • 9:00am - 11:00am - Executive Committee Breakfast Meeting (Yorkshire)
  • 1:00pm - 3:00pm - Facilitator Board Meeting (Yorkshire Room)
  • 7:00pm - 10:00pm - GOG Mixer (Riverchase Ballroom) Enjoy live music and slide show featuring your fellow GOGs. World renowned chef Clayton Sherrod serves up southern hospitality and a soul food demonstration and tasting. We'll have chapter Caring & Sharing followed by a special half-time show.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Jennifer Baszile

Jennifer Baszile

Lawrence Hill

Lawrence Hill

  • 8:00am - 9:00am - Breakfast For Members & Guests (Riverchase)
  • 9:15am - Board Buses for Tour
  • 9:30am - Buses Depart from The Wynfrey Hotel Tour of the Civil Rights Museum and Kelly Ingrum Park, both are across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church
  • 1:30pm or 2:00pm - Buses return to The Wynfrey Hotel
  • 4:00pm - 6:30pm - Author Awards Luncheon (Wynsdor Ballroom) Lunch served at 4:30pm
    In addition to our winning authors, we will be joined by popular Alabama native writers Chandra Sparks Taylor, a former GOG! (The Promise), A. Faye Boykin (Help a Sister Out/Help a Brother Out) and Tina Kay Hughes (Walking in Your Season)
  • 7:00pm - 8:45pm - GOG "After the Show" Author Panel (Yorkshire) Moderated by author Ravi Howard and Carolyn Steverson AL1 and featuring authors Lawrence Hill, Jennifer Baszile, Sonia Sanchez, Vanessa Davis Griggs, Patricia Haley and Carolyn McKinstry

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Sonia Sanchez

Sonia Sanchez

  • 8:30am - 11:30am - Eboni Gray Phenomenal Woman Breakfast (Riverchase Ballroom)
    Come celebrate three incredible women who give their best to GOG. Author Sonia Sanchez will dine with us at this event.

Vendors - Friday & Saturday

  • That's SEW Gee's Bend Quilters - will exhibit quilts & other items and sell their books
  • GOG Historian Evalyn Hamilton DC1 - will exhibit & sell GOG products
  • GOG Member Zetra Allen IN1 - will sell lanyards and bags
  • GOG Member Diahann Brown NY10 - will exhibit her Civil Rights doll diorama
  • Expansion Books (Saturday) - will sell titles from the attending authors and the July thru December reading list