Humanities Tennessee announced the initial lineup of award-winning, bestselling authors who will headline the 36th Annual Southern Festival of Books, taking place at Bicentennial Mall, the Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee State Library Oct. 26-27, 2024.
One of the oldest and largest literary events in the country, the festival will be open to the public 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, October 26, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, October 27, 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.
Returning for the second year, a designated Student Day will be held on Thursday, October 24, welcoming 500 high school students from Metro Nashville Public Schools for author meet-and-greets, writing exercises, and book giveaways courtesy of Parnassus Books Foundation and Dollar General Foundation.
A series of community events will take place throughout the week of the festival. These will include:
- An evening with Erik Larson at Paschall Theater at Montgomery Bell Academy on Thursday, October 24. Ticket purchase includes a signed copy of Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War. Tickets, which support Humanities Tennessee, can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/author-event-with-erik-larson-tickets-943711976927.
- The second annual Southern Festival of Books Writer’s Workshop in partnership with The Porch on Friday, October 25. The one-day workshop will be held at the Tennessee State Museum with workshops led by Darnell Arnoult, Ann Powers, Justin Taylor, and more. Visit porchtn.org or humtn.org for registration information.
- A special presentation by Eric Dawson’s Suttree’s Knoxville: A Hymn to the Past in Film and Music on Saturday, October 26. This interactive experience features documentary footage from the era of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, paired with music developed by William Tyler and short readings from the novel.
- The Women’s National Book Association Coffee with Authors will be held on Saturday, October 26. Visit www.wnbanashville.org for more details.
The festival weekend will feature appearances from approximately 150 authors, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with their favorite writers through a series of live events, panels, book signings and more. The 2024 roster includes legendary musical artist Joan Baez; bestselling authors TJ Klune, Lisa Unger, and Renee Watson; 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner Jayne Anne Phillips, and Nashville-based authors Ann Patchett, Alice Randall, and Margaret Renkl, among others.
“Every year, the Southern Festival of Books attracts some of the most dynamic, successful, and talented authors from around the world, and this year’s festival is no exception,” said Humanities Tennessee Executive Director Tim Henderson. “We are honored and excited to welcome these brilliant writers to Nashville for a weekend celebrating the written word. In addition to our amazing lineup of authors, the festival offers a wide array of programming for the entire family, from live music to puppetry to theater. It’s truly an event the whole family can enjoy, and we can’t wait to see everyone this year.”
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