. >> the first was 1984 as a two day festival but even then we had significant authors, even allen ginsberg came the thing that was so heartening was when you thought of miami back in 1984 you did not think a lot of serious reading got done but what really happened was people started to stream into the book fair and we knew we were onto something. >> host: this is one of the few that is a weeklong. >> after two days it went to a full weekend and people were clamoring for more so we decided to do evening events leading up. >> host: how many authors? bill my between 250 and 450,000 come to the street festival and this year we have about 400 writers. >> host: it does cost to get an. >> is $8 of your a student it is less or if you are a senior citizen you could become a member of the miami book fair and that brings the admission down. >> host: lourdes is that money go? >> to the running of the festival. we are not for profit and funded a lot by the college indirect costs coming from the county and the state. >> host: regular viewers of booktv would have seen year earlier this morning but from n

. >> the first was 1984 as a two day festival but even then we had significant authors, even allen ginsberg came the thing that was so heartening was when you thought of miami back in 1984 you did not think a lot of serious reading got done but what really happened was people started to stream into the book fair and we knew we were onto something. >> host: this is one of the few that is a weeklong. >> after two days it went to a full weekend and people were clamoring for more so we decided to do evening events leading up. >> host: how many authors? bill my between 250 and 450,000 come to the street festival and this year we have about 400 writers. >> host: it does cost to get an. >> is $8 of your a student it is less or if you are a senior citizen you could become a member of the miami book fair and that brings the admission down. >> host: lourdes is that money go? >> to the running of the festival. we are not for profit and funded a lot by the college indirect costs coming from the county and the state. >> host: regular viewers of booktv would have seen year earlier this morning but from n

programs featuring james baldwin and mary barack a, allen ginsberg, joseph heller, must build to therim. your writers like dave barry, carl heisman, less stand deferred, and james w. hall were fighting their voices and audiences. we have programs in spanish and creole, riders from the caribbean. my ambiance came to lender under that big tent that was the miami book fair that first glorious year. but it was not really as easy as it might seem. back then nobody thought of serious stuff or reading went on down in miami. i remember the time that i asked a pretty prominent publisher if you would send a pretty prominent author to us. his response was something like, no, you know, not her, but we have this author of a new nonprescription drug book would be perfect. old people, beach readers. that is the way miami was looked at. no as we move in toward 28 book fares, it is taking place right now. if you're quiet -- if you are quite you might be able to hear john reading tonight right now down in miami. and if you're going to be there on sunday he might be able to catch michael more as well w