Vegas Valley Book Festival And The Morelli House Features Mark Twain Event on Oct. 22

One of the most exciting “there’s-no-culture” cultural events each year in Las Vegas is the Vegas Valley Book Festival. It’s time once again, so find the reading glasses and get ready for an amazing line-up of events.

I hinted the other day that there’s going to be two opportunities coming up to see The Morelli House. The first event is a pre-festival lecture on Mark Twain, followed by a party at the Morelli House.

Nevada’s Literary And Architectural History Celebrated At Morelli House Reception

The Vegas Valley Book Festival celebrates one of Nevada’s famous authors in a special literary program, “The Genius of Mark Twain,” on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the city’s Downtown Senior Services Center, 310 S. Ninth St. T

This pre-festival event, co-sponsored by the Junior League of Las Vegas, will feature renowned scholar, author and storyteller Dr. Elliot Engel in a dramatic narrative celebrating the writings and the life of Mark Twain as one of America’s most enduring literary legends. Engel, a recognized authority on Charles Dickens, has taught at the University of North Carolina and Duke University and offers a range of literary programs on the lives of 19th- and 20th-century authors — including Mark Twain, whose real-life experiences in Northern Nevada inspired his writings about the American West.

Following Engel’s presentation, a reception and book signing will take place at the Junior League’s Morelli House, located at 831 Bridger Ave. The Junior League, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Morelli House, will be providing tours of the historic property.

These events are free and open to the public, but seats are limited. Reservations can be made by calling 882-6536 or emailing [email protected]. The event is funded in part by a grant from Nevada Humanities, with support from the city of Las Vegas.

“The Genius of Mark Twain” is one of a number of pre-festival events leading up to the Vegas Valley Book Festival, Nov. 4-8, with most events taking place at the Historic Fifth Street School. The festival, now in its eighth year, is presented annually by the city of Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Las Vegas Review-Journal. This year the festival hosts more than 100 authors and is expected to draw an estimated 10,000 attendees at all venues over the five-day event. For more information on the Vegas Valley Book Festival, call (702) 229-5431 or visit online at www.vegasvalleybookfestival.org or www.artslasvegas.org\vvbf.