A lot of people around here are looking forward to this weekend’s South Dakota Festival of Books in Deadwood. It’s called the place “where readers and writers rendezvous,” and this year’s lineup of writers will be of interest to a lot of readers.

More than 50 top national, regional and South Dakota authors will talk about fiction, nonfiction, historical writing, tribal culture, children’s literature, publishing and poetry.

“The festival celebrates the written word in South Dakota, extols the rich heritage of the state, and encourages authorship, literacy and reading,” Festival promoters said in a recent news release.

There’s always a wide variety of topics, writers and artists at the Festival, and this year is no exception. The featured speakers include nature writer Rick Bass, writer Marilyn Chin, poet Quincy Troupe,  children’s book author Gary Schmidt and the Black Hills’ own Linda Hasselstrom. (My personal favorite ever since about 1980, when I read her poem crafted around the routine chore of cutting hay.)

Also among the presenters will be well-known author Pete Dexter as well as Spearfish writer Kent Meyer. There will be a screening of the film “Imprint” by Rapid City filmmakers Michael and Carolyn Linn. Native American artist Don Montileaux will be part of a panel talking about cultural legacies. Historical writers T.D. Griffith, Jim McLaird and David Wolff will talk about Seth Bullock, Wild Bill Hickok and the outlaws of Deadwood.

The Festival of Books begins Friday morning and runs until Sunday afternoon. Saturday’s sessions go from 9 a.m. to midnight. For details about the event, check out the Festival of Books website.