SAVANNAH — Nearly a dozen local authors and celebrities will participate in the 2013 Savannah Book Festival. Among them are rock legend Gregg Allman, local physician Mark Murphy and favorite son Bobby Deen.

Rock icon Allman, who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is on Rolling Stone’s list of “100 Greatest Singers of All Time,” will autograph copies of his memoir, “My Cross to Bear,” at the festival’s Book Tent at Telfair Square from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 16. Only books purchased at the festival will be autographed.

Other local authors presenting Feb. 16 include Murphy, local gastroenterologist and Savannah Book Festival board member, who will discuss his new murder mystery novel, “The Shadow Man."

Bobby Deen, who manages Paula Deen’s The Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah with his brother Jamie and hosts “Not My Mother’s Meals” on the Cooking Channel, will be featured, along with designer and Southern Living editor Kimberly Schelgel Whitman, in a special lifestyle presentation Feb. 15 at Trustees Theater. A limited number of tickets for this special event is available for $10 through savannahboxoffice.com or by calling Savannah Box Office at 912-525-5050. Deen’s new cookbook, “From Mama’s Table to Mine,” will be published in February. Whitman’s new book is “The Party Planner.”

Jim Morekis — editor-in-chief of Connect Savannah, part of Morris Multimedia — is author of “Moon Charleston & Savannah,” “Moon South Carolina” and the upcoming “Moon Georgia” guidebooks, which he will discuss.

For more information, call 912-598-4040, email info@savannahbookfestival.org or visit www.savannahbookfestival.org.