Booksellers who have dreamed of having a long chat with an award-winning author or illustrator will get to compete for the chance in March during a nationwide auction conducted by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. Leonard Marcus, Chris Raschka, Robert Sabuda, Jon Scieszka, Peter Sis and Vera B. Williams are the first confirmed participants in the new ABFFE Author Auction. ABFFE expects to announce the participation of more authors, including authors of adult books, in the weeks ahead.

The ABFFE Author Auction will be conducted online at the ABFFE Web site, www.abffe.com, on March 27-29. All of the authors live or work in New York City and will meet with the winners for an hour and a half on May 4 or 5 during BookExpo America. The two highest bidders for each author will win. Both winners may each bring two friends, which means that no more than six guests will be present during the meetings. The winners will also receive five autographed copies of the author's latest work.

In most cases, the authors will meet visitors at their homes or studios, giving them a closeup view of where they work. Some authors may elect to meet at one of their favorite haunts or to lead a walking tour of their neighborhood. ABFFE will provide guides to make sure that winners travel to and from the meeting sites without problem.

Participation in the auction will be limited to booksellers who are members of ABFFE, the American Booksellers Association, the Association of Booksellers for Children or one of the regional bookseller associations. Winners will be responsible for their own travel and lodging.

Any author or publisher who would like to participate in the ABFFE Author Auction is encouraged to contact Tim Eubanks of ABFFE, tim@abffe.com, (212) 587-4025.

As a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, the freedom of speech is under greater pressure today than at any time in recent memory. Newspapers editors have been fired for expressing criticism of the Bush administration. College and university officials have condemned -- and in some cases disciplined -- professors for saying American foreign policy contributed to the growth of terrorism. Meanwhile, the federal government dramatically expanded its power when Congress approved the USA Patriot Act, giving the FBI widened authority to demand business records, including those of bookstores.

ABFFE has joined more than 150 groups on both sides of the political spectrum in affirming the right of peaceful dissent. The In Defense of Freedom Coalition, whose members include both the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union, has urged President Bush, Congress and lawmakers throughout the country to draft security legislation "with a determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at the core of the American way of life" and "to ensure that actions by our government uphold the principles of a democratic society, accountable government and international law." The IDOF Coalition also calls on Americans to resist efforts to target people because of their race, religion, ethnic background or appearance, including immigrants in general, Arab Americans and Muslims.

The IDOF Coalition's principles and a list of its members can be viewed on the coalition's Web site, www.indefenseoffreedom.org. Both individuals and organizations can use the Web site to join the coalition.

Author Barbara Kingsolver and journalist Nat Hentoff will join an ABFFE panel at BookExpo that will assess the state of free speech in the United States eight months after Sept. 11. Kingsolver is one of several prominent Americans, including author Susan Sontag and TV host Bill Maher, who have been criticized for making allegedly anti-American statements. She has strongly denied the accusation. (Her reply can be read at www.kingsolver.com/special.htm.) Hentoff has written extensively about current threats to civil liberties in his syndicated column. The BookExpo panel, "'911': Civil Liberties in a Time of Crisis," will be held on Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m. in Room 1E12 of the Javits Convention Center. It is co-sponsored by ABFFE, the Association of American Publishers and the Freedom to Read Foundation.