The Library Foundation's annual fundraiser, Literary Feast, which celebrates literature and brings well-known national and international authors to Broward County, raised more than $175,000 for 15 Broward County Library programs in 2017. The HI Foundation was the Presenting Sponsor of this year's event, which was chaired by Ann Burris, Karen Jones and Merrie Meyers. It featured 17 best-selling authors of fiction and non-fiction and included Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler and the winner of this year's PEN Hemingway award for debut fiction, Yaa Gyasi. Even William Shakespeare made an appearance at this year's Welcome Reception where he used the persuasive power of iambic pentameter to entice guests to choose a book raffle from our library cart!

Following the reception, the authors and guests traveled to 14 dinners at private homes and restaurants for an intimate evening of good food and conversation.

On March 31, Literary Feast visiting authors, along with local writers, a graphic novelist and documentary filmmaker visited 22 local high schools during Novel Day for Students, sponsored by Bank of America. Our honored guests announced the winners of the Novel Day for Students' Short Story Contest during their school visits. The writers of the top three short stories at each school were awarded cash prizes at Broward County Schools' Literary Fair, held May 17. This year the Library Foundation was pleased to award a "Best in Show" prize to Raquel Kadin, a student at Coral Springs High School.

Also on March 31, LitLIVE!, sponsored by Nova Southeastern University, drew more than 350 attendees to three Barnes & Noble stores, where all 17 Literary Feast authors spoke. The event ran simultaneously with mystery writers in Plantation, fiction writers in Fort Lauderdale and non-fiction writers in discussion in Pembroke Pines. A portion of book sales were donated to the Library Foundation.

We thank our sponsors, dinner hosts and guests, chairs and volunteers and all who helped to make this event a success once again this year.