The venerable St. Louis Jewish Book Festival has released its schedule for this year. Although the keynote speaker - usually a well-known celebrity - isn’t named yet, the rest of the schedule seems to be.

The festival - which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year - will run from Nov. 2-12. Note that best-selling thriller writer Jeffrey Deaver will also be at the Jewish Community Center a few days after the festival ends. For more info on tickets, etc. go to www.stljewishbookfestival.org

Here is the lineup (subject to change a bit in the next couple of months) as released by the JCC.

Tackling the sensitive issue of mental health in HURRAY DOWN SUNSHINE with journalist Michael Greenberg on Monday, November 3 @ 10:30am
Former Communications Coordinator for Israeli Prime Ministers Sharon & Olmert, Gregory Levey on Monday, November 3 @ 1pm with SHUT UP, I’M TALKING: And Other Diplomacy Lessons I Learned in the Israeli Government
Saturday Night Live & Curb Your Enthusiasm Comedy Writer and co-author of Billy Crystal’s 700 SUNDAYS….Alan Zweibel returns on Monday, November 3 @ 7:30pm with his new book CLOTHING OPTIONAL
SARAH’S KEY, the #1 best-seller in France and 19 other European countries…author Tatiana de Rosnay comes to the Festival on Wednesday, November 5 @ 10:30am
Wednesday, November 5 @ 8:15pm in partnership with the Rabbinic Association’s Adult Ed Institute at Temple Israel…..Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of CLAL, co-host of the radio show  Hirschfield & Kula (with Rabbi Irwin Kula) on Talk Radio; host of Building Bridges on American Muslim TV; and one of NEWSWEEK Magazine’s Top 50 Rabbis in America, will share with humor and insight, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE WRONG FOR ME TO BE RIGHT: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism, a thoughtful approach to celebrating differences and promoting acceptance.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines…..Jerry White comes to the Festival on Thursday, November 6 @ 10:30am with his book I WILL NOT BE BROKEN: 5 Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis
MISSOURI’S OWN…Local Author Panel featuring: Jody Feldman with THE GOLLYWHOPPER GAMES; Bruce Jay Friedman with THREE BALCONIES; and Joanna Campbell Slan with PAPER, SCISSORS, DEATH ; on Friday, November 7 @ 1pm, moderated by Don Wolff, host of  I Love Jazz on KFUO-FM Classic 99
CONCERT EVENT with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Sunday, November 9th @ 7pm (At B’nai Amoona Congregation)
Celebrate the Festival’s 30th Anniversary with an insanely fabulous RETRO NIGHT featuring Roger Bennett, author of  AND YOU SHALL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF OUR VINYL …BAR MITZVAH DISCO ….and…CAMP CAMP, Monday, November 10th @ 7:30pm
A Morning of Food & Fun with cooking favorites The Brass Sisters, authors of HEIRLOOM COOKING, and British cooking sensations Fine & Tarn, authors of THE JEWISH PRINCESS COOKBOOK: Having Your Cake & Eating It ……all together on the morning of Tuesday, November 11 (Start time to be determined)
Commemorate Veteran’s Day at the Festival with former White House speechwriter Andrei Cherny and his new book THE CANDY BOMBERS: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift & America’s Finest Hour on Tuesday, November 11 @ 1pm
NBC News Israel Bureau Chief Martin Fletcher with his book BREAKING NEWS on Tuesday, November 11 @ 7:30pm
Sex and the City star, currently co-starring on Showtime’s hit series Californication, Evan Handler takes the Festival stage on Wednesday, November 12th @ 7:30pm with his memoir IT’S ONLY TEMPORARY: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive
And much, much more to come!
The 30th Anniversary Festival runs November 2-12, 2008. There will be two special BONUS Festival programs…
Monday, November 17th featuring NY TIMES best-selling mystery/thriller author Jeffrey Deaver and his new book BODIES LEFT BEHIND. 
Tuesday, November 18th featuring journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug, author of COOL JEW AND the author of SHTICK SHIFT: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century, Rabbi Simcha Weinstein. 
BONUS PROGRAMS INCLUDED ON SERIES TICKET!!