FORKS — The creator of the Twilight saga will be in Forks to greet her fans at a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the publication of the first novel in the series.
Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series of books, has announced she will be in Forks on Sept. 12 to sign books from her urban fantasy romance-adventure series set in the West End city.
The book-signing event will be free, but pre-registration is required, said Lissy Andros, executive director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, which is organizing the 2015 Forever Twilight in Forks festival.
Meyer does not often take part in public events, so this is a rare event for fans, Andros said.
“Every dream we had for the festival is coming true,” she said.
Online pre-registration will be required for the book signing, but the process is not yet in place.
Registration will be available at www.forevertwilightinforks.com.
The festival committee is expecting more than 1,000 people from as far away as Australia, France and South Africa, including more than 300 who prepaid for the weekend escape package.
Weekend escape packages, which include tickets to all major events and a “Dinner Date with a Vampire,” are available for $200 at www.forevertwilightinforks.com.
In the wake of Meyer’s announcement, Facebook community discussions indicate a large number of fans are planning to visit from Seattle or Portland, Ore. — those who live close enough to spend a day or two in Forks on short notice, Andros said.
Others have said they will attend if they can get off work or get airline tickets, she said.
The festival is held after schools open for the year and the summer tourism season begins to slow, reducing the number of rooms taken by non-Twilight visitors.
“There is still lodging available,” Andros said.
The Twilight saga comprises four novels and a novella written by Meyer, and five movies based on the books, which tells of a love triangle between Bella Swan, the teenage daughter of the Forks police chief; the “cold” and aloof vampire Edward Cullen; and the “hot” and angry Quileute werewolf Jacob Black.
Each year, the city of Forks has held the Stephenie Meyer Day weekend festival.
The festival offers privately organized events celebrating Swan’s birthday with dinners, tours, a recreation of Bella’s wedding to Edward Cullen, baby showers for Bella’s baby and fashion advice from vampire fashionista Alice Cullen, along with cosplayers who represent members of the Cullen “family” of vampires, who act as hosts and guides.
Meyer attended the 2013 event without advance notice and spent much of the weekend with her fans.
This year, the festival was renamed “Forever Twilight in Forks,” and event management was taken over by the Forks Chamber of Commerce.
Meyer wrote a note to fans and posted it on her blog and Facebook account Wednesday.
“On October 5th, a decade will have passed since Twilight was first published. An entire decade — crazy! I feel like this calls for some kind of celebration,” she wrote.
“As they’ve done for the past eight years, the town of Forks, Washington is celebrating Twilight with their annual Forever Twilight in Forks festival.
“I’m thrilled to announce that this year I will be in Forks on Saturday, September 12th to sign books!”
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.