“Scandal” co-executive producer Judy Smith, the real-life crisis management expert who inspired the blockbuster television series, will be honored at the 2013 National Book Club Conference, August 2-4 in Atlanta.
Smith headlines a dynamic group of authors at the 11th annual conference that includes New York Times bestselling authors Eric Jerome Dickey, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Pearl Cleage, Terrie Williams, Carl Weber and Alice Randall, among others.
Also participating will be DeVon Franklin, the executive vice president at Columbia Pictures, who is married to actress Meagan Good and who has authored the critically acclaimed book, Produced By Faith.
Actor Kerry Washington’s “Scandal” character, Olivia Pope, is inspired by Smith, whose client list includes Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick and others. The nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, the Los Angeles riots, and the prosecution of former Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, are also among the many high-profile cases that Smith has handled.
Smith, author of the book, Good Self, Bad Self, will be honored on Saturday, August 3 at the National Book Club Conference with the Terrie Williams Inspiration Award—named after the celebrated public relations expert and New York Times bestselling author.
She will give a keynote address, answer questions and sign books. Smith joins Roland S. Martin, Iyanla Vanzant, Susan L. Taylor, Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter, and the late E. Lynn Harris, as a recipient of the award.
“It is a major coup and honor to have Judy Smith at the NBCC this year.” Curtis Bunn, NBCC founder and president, said. “Judy is an ideal example of brains, ambition and success, an inspiration in a lot of ways. So it is appropriate that she be honored with the Terrie Williams Inspiration Award.”
Eric Jerome Dickey, who will participate in a panel discussion on the plight of today’s literary world, said the NBCC is “the most important book club conference for authors and publishers of color. . . and where I go to meet and greet the authors I love to read. NBCC does for Atlanta what the Harlem Book Fair does for the New York – provides access and information for both the up-and-coming as well as the established authors.”
The weekend is literary bliss, with readers from all over the country converging on Atlanta to get up-close-and personal contact with their favorite authors — and learn of new talent.
“It’s a one-in-a-million, ultimate book lovers weekend,” said reader Josephine Fulcher Anderson of Norwalk, Conn., who attended the event over multiple years.
What makes the NBCC unique is its intimate nature and contact between readers and authors. Attendees enjoy a succession of book club meetings led by authors. There are panel discussions on self-publishing and other industry topics, a reception and a semi-formal dinner that honors book clubs for community service work.
There is a red carpet event for featured authors, with the attendees serving as the paparazzi, an occasion that gives the creators of stories the kind of admiration they do not receive anywhere else.
“The best thing about the NBCC,” Bunn said, “is that the authors enjoy it as much as the readers. They appreciate the support and they spend quality time with the readers, something that just does not happen at most literary occasions.”
This year’s event also features popular authors ReShonda Tate Bilingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray; actor Eriq La Salle; Andre Carter of the reality show Braxton Family Values; Karen Quinones Miller and more.
Registration information is at www.nationalbookclubconference.com.
