Today Humanities Tennessee announced a lineup of award-winning, bestselling authors who will headline the twenty-eighth annual Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, taking place this year October 14-16. The roster includes such notables as Megan Abbott, Cat Cora, Gayle Forman, John Hart, Adam Hochschild, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jay McInerney, Ann Patchett, and Curtis Sittenfeld, among many others.
The Southern Festival of Books is a free event that annually attracts 25,000 attendees who will meet their favorite authors, become familiar with talented new writers, and engage like-minded fans and followers of great literature. The festival has become one of the most popular literary events in the country, as guests travel to Nashville to experience panel discussions, author readings, food, entertainment, and culture.
Marquee appearances and events of the 2016 festival include:
Former and current Nashvillians, including author and co-owner of Parnassus Books, Ann Patchett (discussing her new novel, Commonwealth); novelist and respected wine critic Jay McInerney (Bright, Precious Days: A Novel); fantasy writer Sherrilyn Kenyon (DragonMark); and musician Kix Brooks (Cookin’ It With Kix: The Art of Celebrating and the Fun of Outdoor Cooking).
New York Times-bestselling authors Curtis Sittenfeld (Eligible: A Retelling of Pride and Prejudice), John Hart (Redemption Road), and Gayle Forman (Leave Me), who has transitioned from YA books to debut her first adult novel.
Award winning nonfiction authors such as National Book Award winner Adam Hochschild (Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939) and New York Times-bestselling author Matthew Desmond (Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City).
New fiction from acclaimed authors Megan Abbott (You Will Know Me: A Novel), Gyasi Yaa (Homegoing), Donald Ray Pollock (The Heavenly Table), Libby Ware (Lum), and Brad Watson (Miss Jane).
A special track on “The Pulitzer Prize in the Twenty-First Century,” a partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities featuring fiction winner Robert Olen Butler (Perfume River) and renowned photographer Robert Cohen, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for his coverage of the Ferguson unrest. Performances of Pulitzer-winning music and a special interactive presentation on media literacy will also be offered.
Celebrated children’s and YA authors David Arnold (Kids of Appetite), Lauren Oliver (Replica), C.J. Redwine (The Shadow Queen), Beth Revis (A World Without You), and Jason Reynolds (As Brave as You).
Solo and Q&A sessions with television, film, and music legends Kimberly Williams-Paisley (an actor on ABC’s hit show Nashville and author of Where the Light Gets In), Bill Anderson (Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music), and Sean Patrick Flanery (Jane, Two: A Novel).
For a full lineup of festival authors, click here.
In addition to three days of readings and talks, the festival will also feature three performance stages: a music stage focuses on the incredible talent of the Nashville music community; the performing-arts stage offers theater, spoken word, and poetry throughout the weekend; and the children’s stage features authors, musicians, performers, crafts, character costumes, and parties celebrating beloved children’s books.
Humanities Tennessee is committed to assembling a diverse collection of authors, including writers of adult, young-adult, and children’s books; novelists and nonfiction writers; Pulitzer Prize winners; New York Times bestsellers; and book-club favorites. Sixty publishers, booksellers, and literary nonprofits will exhibit at the event, and Parnassus Books will serve as the onsite bookseller.
To view a gallery of photographs from the 2015 Southern Festival of Books, click here.
The Southern Festival of Books is presented by Humanities Tennessee, a nonprofit organization that promotes humanities education across the state. The festival is sponsored by the National Endowment for Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Nashville Public Library, Ingram Content Group, The Memorial Foundation, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Middle Tennessee State University, Parnassus Books, and the Nashville Scene.
Join the Southern Festival of Books on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram at @SoFestBooks.
For more updates on Tennessee authors and literary events, please visit Chapter 16’s News & Notes page, here.
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