Best of the Fest: Southern Festival of Books Returns October 17-18

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Southern Festival of Books, presented by Humanities Tennessee in partnership with Vanderbilt University, returns October 17-18, bringing two days of literary celebration to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Tennessee State Library and Archives. One of the nation’s longest-running and most beloved literary events, the festival will offer something for readers of all ages, from engaging author panels and book signings to family-friendly kids’ programming.

The full schedule can be found online: sofestofbooks.org/schedule.

Highlights include:

• Author Appearances: The Southern Festival of Books will bring together more than 200 nationally recognized authors, offering discussions, panels, readings, and book signings across a wide range of genres for readers of all ages and interests. Highlights from this year’s lineup include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jayne Anne Phillips and Ayad Akhtar, bestselling authors Ann Patchett, Belle Burden, Allegra Goodman, Elizabeth Kostova, Claudia Rankine, and Kathryn Stockett, and award-winning author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. The festival will also feature Nashville historian Benjamin Houston, alongside a strong selection of Vanderbilt University Press authors exploring the history, culture, and voices of Nashville and the broader South.
• 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 Caroline Brooks DuBois and Amy Sarig King, Eric Hendrikx in Conversation with Jake Kiszka; horror authors Micaiah Johnson and Yah Yah Scholfield; Young Adult authors Soman Chainani and Christen Randall; and novelists Sadeqa Johnson, Stephanie Soileau, and Shannon Sanders, and more. In addition to author panels, the festival will host a film screening of Mary Oliver Saved by the Beauty of the World in the Tennessee State Library, Obion Room on Saturday.
• Cumberland Tent: Hear from some of the festival's biggest authors in the Cumberland Tent, located in the heart of the festival. The tent will host several best-selling and award-winning authors, including Ann Patchett, Tia Williams, Maria Semple, Kathryn Stockett, and more.
• Youth Activities: New and expanded for 2026, Big Fiery Gizzard & Little Pigeon’s Creativity Land will bring even more hands-on fun for young readers and families throughout the weekend. Activities will include bookmaking, artmaking with the Frist Art Museum, the Puppet Truck, a visit from Little Critter, the Poetry Piñata, and a chance to send a book recommendation to the future with the Shared Futures Lab. Writers and illustrators will also stop by to read and lead activities inspired by their work, while the Tennessee STEAM Festival will feature a conversation with writer and scientist Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza. Young readers can also shop for books and hear from authors of picture books, middle grade, and YA books throughout the weekend. The Porch will be hosting free Youth Writing Classes on Friday leading up to the festival; spots are limited. More information can be found here.
• Festival Happenings: Southern Festival of Books will be celebrating Dolly Parton all weekend long with an interactive installation that is a celebration of Dolly's life and dedication to literacy. Within the festival program, guests will find a scavenger hunt and bingo card for attending sessions and visiting vendors.
• Humanities Tennessee Exhibit: What If: Designs from the Future of Crafting & Growing, an exhibit by Humanities Tennessee’s Shared Futures Lab, features artifacts and stories from the future imagined by seven Tennessee artists and farmers about their work. The speculative designs will be on display at the Tennessee State Museum and invite the public to imagine the broad impact of possible change—from sports to building, burial to celebrity—and how it may shape our future communities.
• Literary Vendors: Guests can peruse the vibrant vendor and exhibitor area replete with 120 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, Buns on the Run, Livvi's Lunchbox, Hurts Hot Chicken, and more. Also, swing by the Beer Garden to sit back and relax between sessions.
• Live Performances: In addition to sessions from more than 200 authors, the Southern Festival of Books will have live performances all weekend long on two stages. Expect performances from favorites, including Alicia Gail, Jessica Breanne and the Nashville Sweethearts, and more.
• Parking: For more information on parking and access throughout the weekend, visit: sofestofbooks.org/faq
• Jack White + Maya C. Popa: Poems and Conversation: On Thursday, October 15, head to The Blue Room for an evening of poetry, conversation, and community with Jack White and special guest poet Maya C. Popa. Following the readings, White will host an in-conversation and book signing. A portion of the evening proceeds will go to support the Southern Festival of Books. Tickets are limited and can be purchased HERE.
• The Porch Workshops: Before the festival begins, The Porch will be hosting a series of writers’ workshops on Friday, October 16. From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., festival authors will be hosting sessions in the Tennessee State Museum. Spots are limited; view the full schedule and register here: porchtn.org/happenings.
• Authors in the Round Dinner: To kick off the weekend, the beloved fundraiser, co-chaired by Libby Page and Alice Campbell Brackenbury, invites guests to dine alongside 40 authors appearing at the 2026 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 16, at Marathon Music Works.

The Southern Festival of Books will be open to the public Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 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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