Writers from the Fox Valley will participate in the first Wayne Book and Author Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at Wayne’s Old Village Hall, 430 Railroad St., behind the police station. Admission is free.

Sponsored by the Wayne Historical Preservation Society, the inaugural event has been organized by Tim Hall of Wayne, who is celebrating the release of a nonfiction novel, “Full of It: The Birth, Death, and Life of an Underground Newspaper.” Taking part is Gene McCormick, also of Wayne, author of “Rain on the Sun” and additional titles, who will read from a work in progress. McCormick said a partial list of other area writers includes Gabriella Filippi of Wayne; Pulitzer-nominated George Rawlinson of Elgin; Rachel Gies of St. Charles, reading from her newest novel, “The Darkness Within”; and Jason Behrends of St. Charles; plus special guest Alex Bledsoe, author of the best-selling fantasy/mystery novel “The Sword-Edged Blonde.”

“Bledsoe is becoming a big name in the fantasy and vampire (genre),” said Hall of his friend from Wisconsin. “He does an interesting combination ... of sword and sorcery fantasy and the private eye novel. It’s part Mickey Spillane, part J.R.R. Tolkien.”

At the holiday book fair, authors will read from their work throughout the day and will be available for book signings and discussions. Refreshments will be provided for a suggested donation, with proceeds earmarked for the Historical Society.

At press time, a limited number of spaces remained for authors interested in joining in; for more information, call Hall at (630) 313-0489.

The latest autobiographical offering by Hall is set in the mid-1990s in New York’s East Village, where a group of hopeful artists and activists band together to form an underground, free-thinking newspaper. As the paper grows, personalities begin to clash as they fight for creative control. When unexpected tragedy occurs, the rift widens. 

Hall describes his genre as the “Kuenstlerroman,” a German term for the subset of coming-of-age novels that focuses on becoming an artist.

“I explore the artistic identity ... what it means to be an artist in an often hostile society that doesn’t take a high view of artists in general,” he said, calling this type of self-exploration “the toughest kind of writing.”

The new novel is built around a tragedy that actually happened, he said, noting the book blends drama, romance and humor.

“Some of the details were changed to protect the guilty and innocent alike,” he added.

It is his third book done in the style of autobiographical, personal narrative, which he explained was sparked by the craze for memoirs in the mid-1990s, when he was coming of age as a writer in New York, where he was born and raised.

Hall said he moved to Wayne a few years ago after falling in love with the area while visiting his wife’s family in West Dundee. For more on the author, visit www.timhallbooks.com.