At the Bay Area Book Festival (photo by Michael Hitchner)
Every year, I tell myself I’m going to get on the train and go down to the Brooklyn Book Festival. Every year, there’s some reason why I can’t. I am writing this down because I really want to go this year, and if I say so to you, maybe that will make it happen (and I’ll write a column about it).
However, Brooklyn isn’t the only community to run a book festival. There are oodles of opportunities nationwide to enjoy a day or a weekend full of book browsing, readings and talks, and other book-related activities—often in combination with music, beer, food trucks, kids’ activities, and quirky offerings like a “roll-a-prompt” writing session (involving dice) at Wild Deadwood Reads in South Dakota, or a welcome party at the Reader & Author Get Together in Erlanger, Kentucky, where everyone gets a tiara.
So, I did a bit of browsing for you and pulled these selections off the shelf, one per month. Most of them include a virtual element, so if they’re not in your neck of the woods, you can still enjoy!
Want to jump right in? The Newburyport Literary Festival is happening next weekend in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with in-person and virtual events on the schedule, so anyone can attend—but wouldn’t you like to be there to sit in the pews of an old New England church or the local firehouse? The festival offers talks on fiction, non-fiction, and poetry from some big names, including Andre Dubus III, Michael Cunningham, and Steve Almond, plus several with a distinctly local flavor and a few on writing and the publishing industry.
The Spring Writes Literary Festival happens over the first three weeks in May, with live events in downtown Ithaca, New York on May 2-5 and Zoom events May 11-18. The live events include panels, readings, workshops, and—I love this—Literary Jeopardy, Competitive Wordle, and something called “Seven Minutes in Heaven: A Spin-the-Bottle of the Arts.” More readings and panels are offered virtually.
The Bay Area Book Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary on June 1-2 with an impressive lineup of speakers, including Tommy Orange, Joan Baez, and Viet Thanh Nguyen. In addition to events on four outdoor stages—readings, panels, interviews—this festival also offers a slew of sessions for writers. There doesn’t appear to be a virtual element for the current festival, but the book festival’s video channel has archived more than 300 recordings of events from previous years.
I had trouble finding a virtual offering for you in July, but if you happen to be wandering through (or living in!) Detroit, check out the Detroit Festival of Books on July 21. Free entry gets you into the “largest book festival in the State of Michigan,” which—judging by the photos—is held in a big ol’ warehouse full of books and book-related stuff. This is more like your library’s annual used book sale on steroids!
On August 24, the Library of Congress will host its annual National Book Festival, including select sessions online. OK, August is a long way off—which means there’s not even a schedule for this one yet. But tens of thousands of people attend this festival in Washington, DC each year, which suggests it is not to be missed! Last year’s schedule included talks by George Saunders, Amor Towles, Joy Harjo, Jericho Brown, Jesmyn Ward, and more.
The Harbor Springs Festival of the Book takes place September 27-29 in Harbor Springs, Michigan. Their program isn’t set yet, either, and most of it will be in person, but the website hosts some virtual event videos from past years, featuring Rebecca Makkai, Kevin Wilson, and more.
Finally, if I haven’t hit on the right thing for you yet, here’s a pretty comprehensive, state-by-state list from Writer’s Digest. It’s geared toward writers looking for places to publicize their books, but it will do the trick for readers, too. And here’s an international list, which also includes some U.S. locations. In many cases, there’s at least a virtual archive from the pandemic years—and some festivals have added ongoing virtual programs.
To be honest, despite the headline on today’s column, book festivals happen year-’round, as you’ll find if you start searching these and other lists. But they’re especially plentiful this time of year, at least in colder climes, and they’re an especially fun way to spend a summer weekend. Let us know if you have a favorite festival near you!
Thanks for this compilation! I may actually try to make the National Book Festival this year *fingers crossed*!
I thougth the same thing about Brooklyn last year! I saw Rebecca Makkai as part of the ongoing Montclair book festival, which I think kicks off in earnest this weekend.