Milford Moons shine light on the Milford Readers and Writers Festival

Bestselling author Richard C. Morris will launch his new book “Milford Moons” as a benefit on Saturday, June 7, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Faichere Hotel.

Morais is setting up a scholarship fund for booklovers who can’t afford a weekend pass to the Milford Readers and Writers Festival. The event, from Friday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 14, at the Milford Theater costs $175.

He is donated funds from the purchase of books at the launch and also donating 25% of the sales of signed prints of pages from the book. The scholarships are slated for high school students and seniors who might not otherwise be able to attend the festival.

Morais is know for New York Times bestselling novel, “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” about a family that moves from India to France to start a restaurant. The novel sold more than one million copies and has been translated into 35 languages.

Other books by Morais include “Buddhaland Brooklyn” and “The Man with No Borders.” He spent 25 -years in journalism including serving as Forbes’ European bureau chief.

Milford Readers and Writers Festival board invited him to become editorial director. As Brian Carso, co- chair of MRAW said, “He has some really great ideas and impressive personal and professional connections.”

Morais was eager to dive in and in short order is bringing a number of impressive journalists and authors to the forthcoming Festival. (See sidebar for a glimpse of these mainstage authors)

Morais is now on the Board of Directors of MRAW as well.

He lives in Milford and his love for the town is inspired in part by the fact that he is the fourth generation of his family to have lived here. One night he was walking his dogs, Maya and Sherry, thinking about a photo for another book he had started, when he was struck by the beauty of the moon and its shadow reaching over the night sky. It occurred to him that that was a perfect idea for a coffee table book, and “Milford Moons” was born.

Marta Hallett, publisher at G editions/Folio Fina joined with Morais to complete the book with with 250 photos and related essays. The full title is “Milford Moons: A writer’s visual love letter to his ancestral village.”

Former Milford Mayor Sean Strub wrote the foreword. Morais, as it turns out is just as passionate and just as accomplished a photographer as he is a writer. The book is selling for $35.

The schedule for the festival as established to date, is as follows:

Friday, September 12

“On the Turtle’s Back”- Camilla Townsend and Nicky Kay Michael, Moderator: Jeremy Johnson, magical tales from the Delaware Tribe

Saturday, September 13

“ The Final Word” -Richard Behar on Madoff- Moderator: Richard C. Morais, scoundrels and conmen

“The View from Lake Como” – Adriana Trigiani, tiramisu for the soul

“The Man behind Bloomberg”- Co- founder and Bloomberg Editor-in -Chief Matt Winkler, Moderator: Phil Roosevelt

“Attachments: A Novel by Jeff Arch, author of screenplay Sleepless in Seattle, Moderator: John DiLeo-