NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Southern Festival of Books will return for its 37th year on October 18-19, 2025, at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Tennessee State Museum, and Tennessee State Library and Archives. As one of the nation’s oldest and most beloved literary events, the weekend will be packed full of literary fun for the whole family, including panel discussions from authors, book signings, and kids’ programming. This year’s event is made possible by resounding community support, new donations, and an expanded partnership with Vanderbilt University as the presenting partner.
The full schedule can be found online: sofestofbooks.org/schedule.
Here are a few highlights from the weekend’s programming:
- Author Highlights: The Southern Festival of Books will host discussions and panels with more than 175 regionally and nationally recognized authors, featuring genres and titles for readers of all ages and interests. Highlights from this year will include decorated author Alix E. Harrow, 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Eig, award-winning author Joyce Carol Oates, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former Poet Laureate of the United States Tracy K. Smith, bestselling mystery author Julie Clark, and bestselling author Beatriz Williams.
- Author Panels: Throughout the weekend, there will be multiple author discussions taking place in the Tennessee State Museum, Tennessee State Library & Archives, and the Main Stage located in front of the Library. A few highlights include Silas House in conversation with Ashley Judd; Sci-Fi panel with Hayley Gelfuso, Ruben Reyes Jr., and Alex Foster; Chef Michael W. Twitty in conversation with Chef Sean Brock; and more.
- Cumberland Tent: Come hear from some of the festival's biggest authors in the Cumberland Tent. The tent located in the heart of the festival will host several best-selling and award-winning authors, including Julie Clark, Michael W. Twitty, Adam Ross, and more.
- Children’s Programming: Stop by and enjoy fun for the whole family including performances from the beloved Nashville Public Library puppet truck, appearances from literary characters including Dogman, and a special session with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo and their book "Grandma and Grandpa Rock!"
- Literary Vendors: Guests can peruse the vibrant vendor and exhibitor area replete with book publishers, writing/reading programs, bookstores, community partners, and literary-related shops.
- Food Trucks and Beer Garden: A selection of Nashville’s best food trucks and vendors will be on-site all weekend to help festivalgoers refuel between sessions, including New Berlin Eats, Mimi’s Cookies, The Sambwich Co., Texas BBQ House, Bes-Teas Bubble Shop, and more. Also swing by the Beer Garden to sit back and relax between sessions.
- Live Performances: In addition to sessions from more than 175 authors, the Southern Festival of Books will have live performances all weekend long on two stages. Expect performances from favorites, including Nashville Opera, Southern Word, Fire Phoenix Belly Dance, Vanderbilt Fiddle Program, and more.
- Authors in the Round Dinner: To kick off the weekend, the beloved fundraiser, co-chaired by award-winning authors and Vanderbilt faculty members Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams, invites guests to dine alongside 45 authors appearing at the 2025 festival. It’s Nashville’s best book-club-meets dinner-party event, which has already seen a surge of early contributions to ensure the festival’s future. Authors in the Round will be held Friday, October 17, at Marathon Music Works.
The Southern Festival of Books will be open to the public Saturday, October 18, from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., and Sunday, October 19, from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., for panel sessions, discussions, and readings from a wide variety of genres including fiction and nonfiction, young adult literature, poetry, science fiction, and mystery. Featured festival books will be available for purchase and can be signed by authors throughout the weekend. Parnassus Books is the festival bookseller.
For a full lineup of festival authors, visit sofestofbooks.org.
To learn more about the Southern Festival of Books and to stay updated on festival announcements, please follow us on Twitter (@SoFestofBooks), Facebook, (@SoFestofBooks), and on Instagram (@sofestofbooks).
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