Melissa Baron
It’s never too early to think about what book festivals are in store for us next year! The last two years caused many book festivals to delay, cancel, or go virtual for everyone’s health and safety, but we’ve seen a number of them go back to in-person festivities this summer and fall.
A few of the festivals you may have expected to see earlier in 2023 are just now having their day in the sun for this year, like Printer’s Row Lit Fest in Chicago, which normally occurs in June every year but took place on September 10-11. A lot of our favorites are coming back in 2023, and have begun announcing their dates and author attendees already.
Here is a list of ten book festivals confirmed for 2023, broken down by general fiction, YA, and children’s book festivals. Registration is either just opening or hasn’t quite opened up yet and not all of the festivals have finalized their attendees list, but it’s never too early to plan which ones you’d like to attend! Many of these festivals are free and open to the public, with a few exceptions where there are ticketed extra events/a single cost for the entire festival. A select few have not yet announced their fees.
There are a lot of great opportunities here to celebrate books, and a nice mixture of festivals occurring all over the U.S. offering both indoor and outdoor bookish activities. You’ll also find festivals for literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, and YA. Something for everyone!
General Book Festivals
Savannah Book Festival
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Dates: February 16-19, 2023
Price: Free with ticketed headliner events at various costs (TBD)
The Savannah Book Festival hosts national, regional, and local authors for author presentations and book signings at seven venues strewn across three historic squares in downtown Savannah (it basically takes over a portion of downtown, and I think that’s beautiful). Although 2023’s author lineup has not been revealed yet, past author headliners have included John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, Diana Gabaldon, Lisa Ko, and Colson Whitehead.
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Location: Los Angeles, California
Dates: April 22-23, 2023
Price: Free, although indoor panels will require tickets
The largest book festival in the country returns next April in its second in-person iteration since the pandemic. The L.A. Times Festival of Books is a massive celebration of books and the bookish community, with author booths, signings, panel discussions, and performance art stages. The Los Angeles Times Book Prizes also kick off the festival on the 21st. They have not released their list of attendees yet, but last year’s festival brought in authors and poets such as Amanda Gorman, Daniel José Older, Ali Hazelwood, Dhonielle Clayton, Grace D. Li, and quite literally hundreds more.
The Imaginarium Book Festival
Location: Washington D.C.
Dates: May 20-21, 2023
Price: General admission is free, but there are VIP ticket options that give you early access to signing rooms and swag ($45), day tickets that give you access to the signing rooms and one drink ticket ($15) and a cosmic brunch buffet with authors ($50).
The Imaginarium Book Festival celebrates all things fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and fantastical. In addition to panels and a Lit Talk where authors will answer your questions, you’ll get to meet and acquire signed books from your favorite authors and have the option of brunching with them at the cosmic brunch buffet. The authors who have already confirmed attendance are out of this world amazing: Chelsea Abdullah, Kalynn Bayron, Roseanne A. Brown, Scarlett St. Clair, Andrea Tang, and so many more!
Book Bonanza
Location: Grapevine, Texas
Dates: June 23-24, 2023
Price: $250
Book Bonanza, started by Colleen Hoover and her sisters, is a celebration of books spanning multiple genres (with a heavy romance presence) and always nets a huge list of incredible author attendees (this year’s Book Bonanza hosted over 170 authors!). What makes Book Bonanza stand out, however, is not just its impressive list of attendees: it’s the charitable focus. All proceeds are donated to charitable causes, which in the past have included charities that benefit women and children, victims of domestic violence, and literacy. Next year’s bonanza will feature (naturally) Colleen Hoover, Mia Sosa, Scarlett St. Clair, Sonali Dev, Zoraida Córdova, Emily McIntire, and a whole lot more but we’d be here all day if I listed them all.
Sleuthfest
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
Dates: July 6-9, 2023
Price: TBD, registration has not yet opened
The biggest conference for the mystery, suspense, and thriller genres returns next July. Sleuthfest is a great conference to attend if you’re either a mystery/thriller writer or a reader (or both!) because they always have a ton of inventive, fun presentations on the craft of writing mystery, along with readings and author signings. It’s too early for author attendee announcements, but previous guests of honor have included Meg Gardiner, Dennis Lehane, Jeffery Deaver, Tracy Clark, and Genevieve Essig.
Readercon
Location: Quincy, Massachusetts
Date: July 13-16, 2023
Price: TBA
Readercon has returned! The premiere book festival for science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction took a break over the pandemic (including last year), but they are all set for an in-person convention next July. This con is chock full of panels, author readings and signings, workshops, and hosts the Shirley Jackson Awards for dark fantasy and psychological suspense. No word on author attendees for next year yet, but previous years have included the likes of T. Kingfisher, Catherynne M. Valente, Amal El-Mohtar, Megan Whalen Turner, and Darcy Little Badger, to name a few.
YA Book Festivals
North Texas Teen Book Festival
Location: Irving, Texas
Dates: March 3-4, 2023
Price: Free! Parking at the convention center is $10 per car.
The North Texas Teen Book Festival brings YA authors and YA readers together to celebrate teen literature, cultivate a love of reading, and inspire lifelong readers (the three core components of their mission statement). They strive for diverse author panels, and have not yet announced their author attendees for 2023 yet, since the author submission deadline is this month. Last year, their author lineup included Melissa Albert, Soman Chainani, Chloe Gong, Angie Thomas, V.E. Schwab, Claribel Ortega, and Nnedi Okorafor, just to name a few.
BAM Festival
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Date: April 15, 2023
Price: Free!
BAM Festival merges books, art, and music for teachers, students, and families, and features a number of children and young adult authors and illustrators. Although 2023’s author and illustrator lineup has not yet been announced, past attendees have included Rena Barron, Stephanie Garber, Dev Petty, Jason Reynolds, Sabaa Tahir, and Katie Zhao.
Don’t forget: YALLFEST is happening this November 11-12 in Charleston, SC!
Children’s Book Festivals
Children’s Literature Festival
Location: Redlands, California
Dates: March 3-4, 2023
Price: TBA
The Children’s Literature Festival has been hosted by the University of Redlands for the last 26 years, and it returns in-person this coming March. It’s designed to bring together students, librarians, teachers, parents, authors and illustrators for a celebration of children’s literature. Next year’s authors/speakers have not yet been announced, although some of the award winning festival faculty in attendance include Marla Frazee, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Liz Garton Scanlon.
Hudson Children’s Book Festival
Location: Hudson, New York
Date: May 6, 2023
Price: Free!
The Hudson Children’s Book Festival had to cancel their 2022 festival due to the pandemic, but they are back for 2023. This festival emphasizes sustaining and nurturing literacy in a strong partnership with schools and parents. They’ve already announced their children’s author and illustrator attendees for next year’s festival, and it includes award winnings authors such as Salina Yoon, Nancy Castaldo, Leslie Connor, Jerry Craft, and Nikki Grimes.
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FAQs
Where is the Hay Festival? ›
Hay Festival
How many people attend the Hay Festival? ›The 11-day festival in Hay on Wye is still the largest of all the festivals and regularly presents over 500 of the world's leading writers and artists in 650 events each year, attracting audiences of 278,000 to the rural community of Hay on Wye.
Who is appearing at Cheltenham Literature Festival? ›From legends of literature to national treasures, Cheltenham Literature Festival reveals a star-studded line-up for its 2022 event. See Stephen King, Stanley Tucci, Jamie Oliver and a whole host of famous names at Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022.
How many literary festivals are there in the UK? ›There are some 350 literary festivals that take place throughout the year in the UK. Many are small local events featuring local authors and writing workshops and others are huge affairs that attract the big names in literature, media and show business.
Is the Hay Festival free? ›You do not require a ticket to enter the Castle, but you will need to book and purchase individual tickets for each Festival event you would like to attend. The full programme of events will be announced around late September.
Is Hay-on-Wye festival free? ›You do not require a ticket to enter the festival site, but you will need to book individual tickets for each event you would like to attend.
Is Hay Festival dog friendly? ›Yes, and under 12s do not need a festival ticket to gain entry to the site. Can pets come to the festival? No, pets are not permitted on the festival site.
How much are tickets to the Hay Festival? ›You buy tickets for individual events. Ticket prices range from £6 to £15. You can watch the Festival live from home by purchasing the Online Festival Pass which costs £20. The pass gives you access to nineteen streamed events live and on replay until Tuesday 29 November.
Who owns the Hay Festival? ›The festival was founded in 1988 by Peter Florence and his parents Rhoda and Norman. Hay-on-Wye was already well known for its many bookshops before the festival was launched. Richard Booth opened his first shop there in 1962, and by the 1970s Hay had gained the nickname "The Town of Books".
What date is the 2023 Cheltenham Festival? ›Is Cheltenham Literature Festival free? ›
Come and join us at The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival with nearly 200 free events for everyone to enjoy as well as the ever popular Lit Crawl and the return of VOICEBOX. Grab your friends, your family and head down to Montpellier Garden from 7 - 16 October.
What happens at Cheltenham Literature Festival? ›Cheltenham Literature Festival is the world's first literature Festival, leading the way in celebrating the written and spoken word, presenting the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers.
Are literary festivals doomed? ›Literary festivals could “risk waning interest” and some may no longer remain viable if they remain inwardly focused and don't attract audiences from marginalised communities, especially in the wake of the cost of living crisis, organisers have said.
What is the main attraction of Oxford literary festival? ›Collection of art and archaeology, from ancient Egypt to the 20thC.
Who is appearing at Cheltenham Literature Festival 2022? ›Debuts and Mocktails hosted by Leena Norms presents three 2022 YA debut novelists whose books are inspired by their passions and pop culture: filmmaker Lewis Hancox (Welcome to St Hell), gamer Morgan Owen (The Girl with No Soul), and songwriter Christine Pillainayagam (Ellie Pillai is Brown).
Where is Glastonbury 2023? ›The world-famous music event will return to Worthy Farm in Somerset from 21 to 25 June 2023, and tickets - which usually sell out in minutes - will go on sale on 6 November.
Where should I stay for the Hay Festival? ›...
The best hotels in Brecon Beacons
- The Felin Fach Griffin. HOTEL Brecon Beacons, Wales. ...
- Gliffaes Country House Hotel. HOTEL Brecon Beacons, Wales. ...
- Castle of Brecon Hotel.
Friday 27 May 2022, 2.30pm–4.30pm Venue: Sky Arts Studio
The programmes will air across the weekend of 10–12 June on Sky Arts (Freeview Channel 11), Sky Arts HD and Now. Studio guests include Anthony Horowitz, Jeffrey Boakye, Laurie Penny, Alexis Caught and Cressida Cowell.
Getting to Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye lies on the Welsh side of the Welsh/English Border in the County of POWYS, Wales.
After hearing that lots of libraries in the USA were closing down, Booth stocked up on plenty of books. Soon, many other people in town opened their own bookshops, with many specialising in a specific niche. Now, there are bookshops dedicated to rare, vintage, children's, historical tomes and more.
Is Hay-on-Wye nice? ›
World renowned for books and bookshops. Its unique position on the border between England and Wales makes Hay ideal for visitors to explore and enjoy the beautiful border country.
Where should I stay for the Hay Festival? ›...
The best hotels in Brecon Beacons
- The Felin Fach Griffin. HOTEL Brecon Beacons, Wales. ...
- Gliffaes Country House Hotel. HOTEL Brecon Beacons, Wales. ...
- Castle of Brecon Hotel.
The Hay Festival has unveiled a packed 2022 programme of more than 500 events headlined by authors such as Bernadine Evaristo, Monica Ali and Damon Galgut in its first in-person spring event since 2019.
Is Hay Festival 2022 online? ›A selection of Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2022 events will be available to watch live online. The Online Festival pass gives live front row access to nineteen events across the weekend, from remarkable true life stories to brand new fiction, from politics to poetry, from activism to thrilling adventure!
How much is the Hay Festival? ›You buy tickets for individual events. Ticket prices range from £6 to £15. You can watch the Festival live from home by purchasing the Online Festival Pass which costs £20. The pass gives you access to nineteen streamed events live and on replay until Tuesday 29 November.
How long is the Hay Festival on for? ›Hay Festival – Thursday 25 May to Sunday 4 June 2023. Thank you to everyone who attended Hay Festival 2022 in person and online. The events are available to watch again on Hay Player – subscribe to Hay Player for just £15 per year.
What is the Hay Winter festival? ›The Hay Winter Weekend Festival is a feast of conversations, storytelling, comedy, music, and family workshops, and is a smaller version of the larger Hay Festival which is held in spring. The historic town with it's atmospheric market square is a hive of activity during the festival.
Is Hay Festival on TV? ›Friday 27 May 2022, 2.30pm–4.30pm Venue: Sky Arts Studio
The programmes will air across the weekend of 10–12 June on Sky Arts (Freeview Channel 11), Sky Arts HD and Now. Studio guests include Anthony Horowitz, Jeffrey Boakye, Laurie Penny, Alexis Caught and Cressida Cowell.
The world-famous music event will return to Worthy Farm in Somerset from 21 to 25 June 2023, and tickets - which usually sell out in minutes - will go on sale on 6 November.
Is Hay Festival dog friendly? ›Yes, and under 12s do not need a festival ticket to gain entry to the site. Can pets come to the festival? No, pets are not permitted on the festival site.
When was the first Hay Festival? ›
Famed as a booktown ever since 'King' Richard Booth opened the first secondhand bookshop 50 years ago, the launch of Hay Festival in 1988 earned it a place on the literary and global map.
Who owns the Hay Festival? ›The festival was founded in 1988 by Peter Florence and his parents Rhoda and Norman. Hay-on-Wye was already well known for its many bookshops before the festival was launched. Richard Booth opened his first shop there in 1962, and by the 1970s Hay had gained the nickname "The Town of Books".
How the Light Gets In festival lineup? ›The 2020 May festival was HowTheLightGetsIn's first fully online festival. Speakers include Paul Krugman, Daniel Kahneman, Patricia Churchland, Steven Pinker, Jess Phillips, Will Self, Sally Phillips, Shami Chakrabarti, and many more. The Online Festival had over 200 events, on 7 stages, over 4 days.
How the light gets in location? ›HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2023 is set in a magical location on the edge of the Black Mountains, alongside the river Wye in the famed book town of Hay.