Miami Book Fair kicks off in downtown. Here are 5 events you don't want to miss

Calling all bookworms, storytellers, artists and explorers: the Miami Book Fair is back, and full of events for all guests, big and small. 

The literary festival in Downtown Miami kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 17, and will buzz with hundreds of authors and thousands of readers until Sunday, Nov. 24. 

NBC6 and Telemundo 51 are sponsors of the 41st annual event, which will feature activities for children, talks for aspiring writers and panels reflecting on bestselling works with the authors who wrote them. You will even see some familiar faces in attendance, like our Johanna Torres and Telemundo 51's Gloria Ordaz.

And on Opening Day, guests can enjoy a free community block party with DJs, bites and of course, plenty of books starting at 3 p.m. at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, located at 300 NE 2nd Ave. 

Here are some events you don’t want to miss. To see a full schedule, go here.

What to do at the Miami Book Fair

An Afternoon with Gina Montaner in Conversation with Gloria Ordaz

• When: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m.
• Where: MDC Wolfson Campus Auditorium (Building 1, 2nd Floor, Room 1261) at 300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33132 
• Price: Free

In an intimate and moving account, Cuban journalist and writer Gina Montaner chronicles her father, journalist Carlos Alberto Montaner's, journey toward euthanasia after a Parkinson's diagnosis in her book "Deséenme un buen viaje: Memorias de una despedida" or, in English, "Wish Me a Good Journey." She'll be speaking to Telemundo 51 anchor and Cuban journalist Gloria Ordaz.

Note: This event is in Spanish.

An Evening with Don Lemon

• When: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m.
• Where: MDC Wolfson Campus Auditorium (Building 1, 2nd Floor, Room 1261) at 300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33132 
• Price: $35 per ticket

"Renowned broadcast commentator Don Lemon discusses his new book 'I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America.' Lemon explores his complex relationship with faith and his journey to find grace amidst personal and professional upheaval," the book fair writes. Tickets include a copy of the book.

Pavel Giroud presents "Habana Nostra"

• When: Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
• Where: MDC Wolfson Campus Room 2106 (Building 2, 1st Floor) at 300 NE Second Ave., Miami, FL 33132
• Price: Free

The book fair invites you to "dive into the gritty world of Cuban organized crime with renowned director and screenwriter Pavel Giroud." His novel "weaves together real-life stories, transporting readers and audiences alike to the heart of Sicily, Republican Cuba and the Prohibition-era New York City."

Note: This event is in Spanish.

Miami Book Fair’s Second Annual Celebration Dinner

• When: Friday, Nov. 22 from 7-10 p.m.
• Where: Marriott Marquis in Downtown Miami
• Price: A ticket starts at $1,000, and tables start at $5,000

The Next Page Celebration Dinner "joyfully honors South Florida literary stalwarts and community leaders who have been catalysts for Miami’s cultural growth," the organization says on its website.

This year's event will be hosted by our own Johanna Torres, and will "also serve as an essential source of funding for the NEXT DECADE FUND, created to mark Miami Book Fair’s 40-year legacy and sustain our work going forward."

Among the honorees are superstar Patti Smith and Miami's owner Jean-Marie Denis, or Jan Mapou, accomplished playwright and the artistic director and founder of Sosyete Koukouy.

Stacey Abrams on Stacey Speaks Up - Picture Book

• When: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m.
• Where: Chapman Conference Center (Building 3, 2nd Floor, Room 3210) at 300 NE Second Ave., Miami, FL 33132 
• Price: Free with RSVP

The book fair invites you to join Stacey Abrams, former Democratic representative for Georgia and leading voting rights activist, "for a special conversation on Stacey Speaks Up, the third book in the No. 1 New York Times bestselling and NAACP Image Award-winning picture book series. Stacey and her friends can’t wait for lunchtime on Friday, also known as TacoPizza FryDay! But when Stacey discovers that some of her classmates can’t afford to eat lunch, she loses her appetite. She knows she has to do something, but what can a kid do? Plenty, as it turns out! With the help of their community, Stacey and her friends devise a plan to make their voices heard. Inspired by Abrams’ legacy of grassroots activism and advocacy, this is a story about how everyone has the power to make a difference."