You’d be hard pressed to find something that excites avid readers more than a book signing. Meeting a published author, especially after falling in love with his/her work, is a surreal and exciting experience. Although book signings frequent the Fredericksburg area, they are usually overlooked or under-publicized, sadly. 

The good news is there are two book signings coming up in the near future, and you won’t want to miss them.

Perhaps the movie Hidden Figures, currently in theaters, has caught your eye. Based on a true story, it focuses on four female African American mathematicians who defied the racial and gender prejudices of their time and became crucial in launching the first astronaut into space. However, you might not have known that the story of these women and their time at NASA was originally a book, written by Margot Lee Shetterly.

Shetterly will be speaking about her book on March 4. Before you go to the theater and buy your movie ticket, mark your calendar and stop by the Dodd Auditorium at the University of Mary Washington at 3 p.m. to meet Margot Lee Shetterly and learn more about the book behind the movie.

Secondly, and in the even nearer future is the visit of Greg Miller, author of Grail of Culloden and Princess Rachel Adventures: Book 1. Contrasting Hidden Figures, these books are decisively more fantastical, including kings and dragons and dark magical arts. From 1 to 3 p.m. on February 25, Miller will be at Headquarters Library downtown to talk about and sign copies of his books.

If you’ve read books by either of these authors, attending their signings is a must. If you haven’t, perhaps their visits will inspire you to pick up these books off of the shelf, and allow yourself to be inspired by the accomplishments of four brave women, or immersed in the adventures of a magical world.