A Shining Thing
Ayad Akhtar’s The Radiance is a story about memory, knowledge, academia, and desire. Akhtar will appear at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 17-18.
2026 Southern Festival of Books
Haunted
Lydia Mathis’ debut story collection, Desperate Bodies, lives at the perilous fault lines of contemporary girls’ and women’s lives, particularly those of Black girls and women. Mathis will discuss Desperate Bodies at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 17-18.
Time v. Claudia Rankine
In her latest book, Triage, poet, essayist, and playwright Claudia Rankine explores the devastation in Gaza, Afro-Caribbean womanhood, whiteness, and other themes through the turbulent relationship of the narrator and a nonbinary character called “the theorist.” Rankine will appear at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 17-18.
Running with Rivers
The celebrated nature writer Robert Macfarlane journeys to three continents to confront the question in his latest book’s title: Is a River Alive? Joined by a changing cast of fascinating characters, he roams three rivers, looking for answers. Macfarlane will give a free public lecture at Rhodes College in Memphis on October 1.
Shine a Light
The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music sets the stories of Lead Belly, Johnny Cash, and Tupac Shakur free from the myths that surround them. Author Colin Asher will appear at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 17-18.
Age-Old Struggles, Modern Absurdity
With her sophomore novel, Clutch, Emily Nemens joins the ranks of creatives dissecting the challenges of womanhood and motherhood. The novel begins and ends with the reunion of five women who were once college roommates and are now long-distance best friends all turning 40. Nemens will appear at the 2026 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 17-18.
