The fourth annual Catfish Literary Festival in Athens will feature a variety of authors interacting with readers through writing panels, book signings and book readings.

The one-day event will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Athens-Limestone Public Library.

“They can visit, they can talk with them, they can buy books and get them signed by the author then and there,” said Kristopher Reisz, head of adult programming at the library.

This year’s festival will feature more than 20 authors, most of whom are local. Reisz said writing panels will likely be split by genre, such as young adult fiction or nonfiction history.

“The festival offers booklovers a unique opportunity to connect with authors,” reads the festival’s webpage, http://www.alcpl.org/catfish-literary-festival/. Among the authors participating in the event are Limestone County writer Jerry Barksdale, author of “Cornbread Chronicles,” and David Howard, author of “Chasing Phil: The Adventures of Two Undercover Agents with the World’s Most Charming Con Man,” a nonfiction account of the FBI’s first white-collar undercover sting.

The festival is free and open to the public.

“We have a very artistic, creative community here, and the library is always happy to help support that,” Reisz said. “I hope the community will as well.”

Festival lineup

Here is a list of the authors and booth participants at this year’s Catfish Literary Festival:

• A.J. Coleman, author of “The Reborn”;

• Amanda Orneck, author of “Shadow of the Owl”;

• Amber D. Tran, author of “Moon River”;

• Angela N. Blount, author of “Once Upon a Road Trip”;

• Anna Gibbs, author of “Mystery of the Healing Waters”;

• Bart Hamilton, author of the “Lords of Vengeance” series;

• Carolyn Purcell, author of “Saving Jane Doe”;

• David Howard, author of “Chasing Phil: The Adventures of Two Undercover Agents with the World’s Most Charming Con Man”;

• Ford McMurtry, co-author of “A Planting Season: The Cotton Chronicles: Volume One”;

• Janet Lenore Harris, author of “Autistic Now… at Twenty Years Old?”

• Jerry Barksdale, author of “Cornbread Chronicles”;

• Jim Nesbitt, author of “The Right Wrong Number”;

• Kay Wright, author of “Dr. Brown: A Klondike Love Story”;

• Khristina Chess, author of “Hollow Beauty”;

• L. Erin Miller, author of “Fighting for Kate: The Inspirational Story of a Family’s Battle and Victory over Cancer”;

• Nina Soden, author of the “Blood Angel” and “Sector C” series;

• Peggy Allen Towns, author of “Scottsboro Unmasked: Decatur’s Story”;

• Rebecca Linam, author of “The War on State Street”;

• Sandy Reibeling, Mary Kay representative and Kissology expert;

• Sam West, author of “Shard of Lost Love”; and

• Terri L. French, author of “Keepers: A Book of Haibun.”