Eighteen local authors will speak, lead workshops and participate in panel discussions and a “meet and greet” session with the public during the Festival of the Written Word hosted by Chesterfield County Public Library.

The free festival will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Midlothian Library, 521 Coalfield Road, and also will include food, music and craft activities.

Writers Stacy Hawkins Adams, Bill Blume, Cathy Maxwell and Nancy Wright Beasley will be among the participants, with New York Times best-selling author Kristen Green discussing her book, “Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, A Virginia Town, A Civil Rights Battle.” Her book is based on the county’s refusal to obey the U.S. Supreme Court’s mandate in 1954 to desegregate its public schools.

During the event, the library will serve as a “Come Write In” site for National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Participants are challenged to write 50,000 words between Nov. 1 and 30.

Details: http://library.chesterfield.gov/events/written-word or (804) 751-2275.