The Boston Book Festival will bring authors, readers, and literary organizations to Boston’s Back Bay on Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17. After a ticketed opening-night event, the festival’s signature free day will fill Copley Square and nearby venues with conversations, read-alouds, book-focused activities, and a kids’ costume parade featuring special surprise guests.
A weekend for Boston book lovers
The festival’s outdoor fair will be open rain or shine, with more than 60 exhibitors, including small presses, literary nonprofits, a kids’ zone, and a coffee tent. More than 200 authors will participate in over 80 sessions at the Boston Public Library, Old South Church, Goethe-Institut, Church of the Covenant, Trinity Church, and other nearby locations.
Festival programming will span current events, food, memoir, romance, dystopian fiction, poetry, and picture books, while exploring themes including:
- Belonging and community
- AI’s impact on everyday life
- Democracy and authoritarianism
- American history, folklore, and fairy tales
- Gothic horror, romantic comedy, and multigenerational stories
- Art, architecture, and authenticity in storytelling
Furniture retailer Room&Board will also host the after-hours “Poems & Pints” gathering with Mass Poetry.
Keynote authors and exclusive opening night
The festival begins with Michael Lewis in conversation with Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks at 7:30 PM on Friday, Oct. 16, at Old South Church. Lewis will discuss Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State, his new book about what happens when public servants are targeted. Early-bird tickets cost $49.87 through Sept. 20 and include a copy of Blockers, while additional donations will support the free festival day.
Saturday’s keynote lineup includes:
- Emily Wilson, discussing Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature
- Edwidge Danticat and Imbolo Mbue, presenting their new novels Dèy and Every Story Is a Love Story
- Renée Watson, sharing her young-adult romance Everything New Again
- Tess Gerritsen and Walter Mosley, leading thriller and mystery programming
- Michael P. Murphy, discussing architecture and his book Our World in Ten Buildings
The full author lineup and session schedule will be announced in mid-September, and readers can sign up for updates at bostonbookfest.org.
