Southern Festival of Books

SOUTHERN FESTIVAL
OF BOOKS

A PROGRAM OF HUMANITIES TENNESSEE

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

WE'LL BE
BACK IN
2027!

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (R) PRESENTS 38TH ANNUAL SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS A PROGRAM OF HUMANITIES TENNESSEE OCTOBER 17&18 BICENTENNIAL CAPITOL MALL STATE PARK
A CELEBRATION OF THE WRITTEN WORD NASHVILLE TN

The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word is among the oldest literary festivals in the country, annually welcoming hundreds of authors and thousands of visitors to downtown Nashville each October.

The Festival is free, and includes performance stages, food trucks, and loads of publishers and booksellers. We look forward to seeing you downtown at the Bicentennial Mall, Tennessee State Museum, and Tennessee State Library.

2026 ARTWORK BY IMGRNT

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2026 AUTHOR LIST 2026 SCHEDULE 2026 VENDORS.

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OUR THANKS TO THE 2026 FESTIVAL SPONSORS!

SPONSOR LOGOS: V with VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (R); TENNESSEE ARTS COMMISSION Cultivate. Create. Participate; INGRAM; METRO ARTS NASHVILLE OFFICE OF ARTS + CULTURE; TENNESSEE STATE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES Tennessee Secretary of State; DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION GIVE. DREAM. HOPE.; PARNASSUS BOOKS NASHVILLE; TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE TENNESSEE; ROUTLEDGE Routledge Taylor & Francis Group; Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities Ideas Welcome; NASHVILLE PREDATORS FOUNDATION; Clarivate; SPRINGER NATURE; NASHVILLE SCENE; WALK BIKE NASHVILLE; JACKALOPE BREWING CO.; CHAPTER 16

(Alas!) Beware of online Festival imposters and their scams!

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

THE SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS is a program of

HUMANITIES TENNESSEE

615 Main St
Suite B19
Nashville, TN 37206
P: 615-770-0006 | F: 615-770-0007
sfb1@humtn.org

Danica McKellar Danica McKellar at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Grace Lin Grace Lin at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Performance Tent Performance Tent at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Joe Pagetta Joe Pagetta at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Didi Jackson and Patricia Lockwood Didi Jackson and Patricia Lockwood at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Jaden Terrell Jaden Terrell at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Gloria Ballard and Lucas L. Johnson Gloria Ballard and Lucas L. Johnson at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Music Stage Music Stage at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Creativity Land Making unicorn horns in Creativity Land at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Shared Futures Lab Shared Futures Lab Book Recommendations from the Future Machine at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Puppet Truck Nashville Public Library Puppet Truck at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Olivie Blake and Nathaniel Rich Olivie Blake and Nathaniel Rich at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Kevin Wilson and Silas House Kevin Wilson and Silas House at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Margaret Renkl and Aimee Nezhukmatathil Margaret Renkl and Aimee Nezhukmatathil at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Paul Collins Paul Collins, Unbannable Library Curator, at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Food Trucks Food Trucks at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Laura Hutson Hunter, Sai Clayton, & Shaun Giles Laura Hutson Hunter, Sai Clayton, and Shaun Giles at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Stephanie Niu Stephanie Niu at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Dolly Parton Tribute Dolly Parton tribute at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	2026 Southern Festival of Books The 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Mark A. Johnson and Jimmy Proffitt Mark A. Johnson and Jimmy Proffitt at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Jake Kiszka and Eric Hendrikx Jake Kiszka and Eric Hendrikx at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Andrea L. Rogers Andrea L. Rogers at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	2026 Southern Festival of Books 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
SFOBJBihlerSunday10-19-2026-FINALS-259	Fire Phoenix Belly Dance Fire Phoenix Belly Dance on the Performance Stage at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Music Stage Music Stage at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Blair LM Kelley Blair LM Kelley at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Tristan Tales and Luke Pounder Tristan Tales and Luke Pounder at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Jamie Fisher Jamie Fisher at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Eiman Jahangir Eiman Jahangir at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	David Haskell David Haskell at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	2026 Southern Festival of Books 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Frist Art Museum Activity Frist Art Museum activity in Creativity Land at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Puppet Truck Nashville Public Library Puppet Truck at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Soman Chainani and Christen Randall Soman Chainani and Christen Randall at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Caleb Johnson and Ayad Akhtar Caleb Johnson Ayad Akhtar at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Stephanie Soileau, Sadequa Johnson, & Shannon Sanders Stephanie Soileau, Sadequa Johnson, & Shannon Sanders at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Kathryn Stockett and Ami McConnell Abston Kathryn Stockett and Ami McConnell Abston at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Southern Festival of Books 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Southern Festival of Books 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Kathryn Stockett Kathryn Stockett at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Kathryn Stockett Kathryn Stockett at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Vanderbilt New Music Society Vanderbilt New Music Society on the Music Stage at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Maria Zoccola Maria Zoccola, 2026 TN Book Award Winner in Poetry, at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Deb Olin Unferth Deb Olin Unferth at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Little Critter Little Critter at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Chris Pavone Chris Pavone and Trisha Ping at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Maria Semple and Jennifer H. Puryear Maria Semple and Jennifer H. Puryear at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler
Creativity Land Creativity Land at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Southern Festival of Books 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Creativity Land Creativity Land at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Parnassus Festival Book Sales Parnassus Festival Book Sales Tent at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Free Portraits Free Portrait Booth by Savannah Allen at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	AfricaNashville AfricaNashville at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Tiffeni Fontno and Tia Williams Tiffeni Fontno and Tia Williams at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Tiffeni Fontno and Tia Williams Tiffeni Fontno and Tia Williams at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.
Tiffeni Fontno and Tia Williams Tiffeni Fontno and Tia Williams at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Unbannable Library Unbannable Library at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.	Megan Baptist Megan Baptist at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books Photo by Jason Bihler.