Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families Business
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat Democrat
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens Government
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured Fire
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday Features
  • two-story apartment building on the 15200 block of El Camino Terrace in Orland Park
    Orland Park apartment fire Saturday morning, no injuries Fire
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings calls for bipartisan action to protect Illinois families from SNAP benefit shutdown Baby Boomers
  • Illinios Industrial Energy Consumers, information ad
    Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield Business
  • State Senator Mike Porfirio secured over $20 million to support infrastructure improvements and construction in the 11th Senate District.
    Senator Porfirio applauds more than $20 million in infrastructure repairs coming to the 11th District News
  • Dad and daughter reunited Lebving Law firm photo
    Little Girl Recovered and Reunited with Dad After Long Separation Dads' Rights
  • 11-03-25 OFPD Coffee living alone
    Orland Fire hosts meeting on helping Seniors who live alone Nov. 5 Baby Boomers
  • State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon
    Hastings secures $250,000 grant for Easterseals Academy’s Tinley Park campus Health
  • Chicago ranks as 161st worst city for crime in new national survey Chicago
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Kat Abughazaleh raises over $520,000 in Q2 of 2025 with more than $630,000 cash on hand for 2026 Democratic primary election elections
  • Silent Threat: The True Dangers of Lithium-Ion Batteries — How to Stay Safe and Respond to a Battery Fire Fire
Author Victoria Witkewitz

Local Author Showcase at Oak Lawn Public Library June 12

Posted on May 30, 2024May 30, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Local Author Showcase at Oak Lawn Public Library June 12
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Local Author Showcase at Oak Lawn Public Library June 12

Oak Lawn Public Library, located at 9427 S. Raymond Ave., is kicking off its adult and teen summer reading season with a Local Author Showcase featuring a book fair and 30 authors Wednesday, June 12 from 6-8 p.m. The event is free.

A third of the participating authors are from Oak Lawn, and the remainder hail from other south suburbs and Chicago. Fiction Librarian Emily Bettcher said, “This is our second year doing the Local Author Showcase, and we were blown away to find 20 authors last year. A book fair with 30 authors is a dream come true for our Library!”

Bettcher said the diversity of the authors this year is incredible, “The authors who are coming have written mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, young adult, fantasy and memoir. There are a few nonfiction authors writing about finance and health, plus several authors focusing on wellness and self-help. We’ve even got poets and a coloring book author who dresses as a mermaid!”

The Local Author Showcase has been a hit with authors as well as patrons. Young adult science fiction and fantasy author Zachary Jeffries of Evergreen Park said the event in 2023 was, “amazing, one of my favorites of the year.”

Author Victoria Witkewitz
Author Victoria Witkewitz

 

More than 200 people attended last year’s Showcase. Oak Lawn author Jennifer Worrell said it was, “such fun, and clearly put together by and for book lovers.”

A high point of last year’s Showcase was conversation cards that got discussion flowing between authors and readers. Bettcher said, “We loved hearing the authors and readers talking last year. Even though we’re at a library, it’s great for the Local Author Showcase to be a loud, fun event.”

Author David Kennerson a former college football player, has incorporated experiences from his attempts to get signed by a professional football team into his book “Fail Forward.” Kennerson explained, “What the Local Author Showcase gives me as an author is the opportunity to interact with the readers of my book and be able to tell my inspirational stories to them directly.”

Author David Kennerson
Author David Kennerson

Victoria Witkewitz, an Oak Lawn High School graduate who writes thrillers, said, “The Library was my headquarters for study time and working on research projects. It’s exciting to come full circle to give back to the community I came from.”

Bookie’s Bookstore will sell books at the Local Author Showcase. “Bookie’s likes to partner with OLPL for as many events as we can,” says Operations Manager Rich Wojcikowski. “This event in particular is near and dear to our hearts as Bookie’s has relationships with many of the participating authors.”

First-time featured author Ciara Ward said, “I am excited to just share my books and be around other authors. I love to network and the potential to sell books is a bonus.”

Registration is not required. Visit the Oak Lawn Public Library website at www.olpl.org and view the Events Calendar to sign up for updates about this event and secure a sweet treat on the day. Please call the Library at 708-422-2990 for more information.

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families - October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat - October 29, 2025
  • Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens - October 29, 2025
NPV: 45
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Books & Films, Events, Features, News, NewsWire, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:2024, authors, books, Event, June 12, Oak Lawn, public library

Post navigation

Previous Post: Dad reunited with young daughter after ex-wife obtained baseless Order of Protection against him
Next Post: School District 230 T-Bolts score tops on National German Exam

Related Posts

  • Mohammed Jaber
    Mohammed Jaber takes Oath of Office for Orland Fire Commission Fire
  • Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau launching into personal attacks at the 2023 State of the Village speech hosted by the politically influenced Orland Chamber of Commerce May 24, 2023
    Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau is “off the rails on a crazy train” Baby Boomers
  • Home sales up in Chicago suburbs in April News
  • Tier 1 Chart from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Courtesy of the IDPH
    IDPH Announces Region 5 Moves into Tier 1 Mitigation – Limited Indoor Dining Chicago
  • Orland Township supervisor Paul O'Grady
    Orland Township places Term Limits referendum on upcoming April 6 ballot Briefs
  • Owners of Remodeled Cicero Bar Commend Restore Construction Features

More Related Articles

SeatGeek Stadium Oct 2024 2024 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament Headed to SeatGeek Stadium News
No shortage of big stories News
lunteers load a resident’s car with free food, water and other necessities during a previous grocery distribution held at Orland Township to assist those experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Orland Township To Hold July Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution coronavirus
Cannabis plant (marijuana). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Marijuana sales exceed $10 million during first week in Illinois Environment
National Night Out in Lyons Features
photo of the fryer area where the fire began. Photo courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District Sprinkler extinguishes early morning fire at Patio Restaurant in Orland Park breaking news

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch
    October 17, 2025
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again
    October 11, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families
    October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat
    October 29, 2025
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    October 29, 2025
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured
    October 28, 2025
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday
    October 26, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme