The Southern Festival of Books, returning in October, will feature New York Times bestsellers and a Pulitzer Prize winner, the organization announced.
The festival will return for its 37th year Oct. 18-19 after a period of uncertainty. President Donald Trump’s administration cut $1.2 million in funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities grant. The festival was saved thanks to donations, community support and an expanded partnership with Vanderbilt University, which will be the event’s presenting sponsor.
“This is a thrilling opportunity to elevate the Southern Festival of Books, Vanderbilt University, and our literary community in Nashville as powerhouse and vibrant national forces for creative expression and the performing arts,” C. Cybele Raver, Vanderbilt’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs said in a statement. “We are honored to co-present this celebration of authors, readers, and their ideas — it builds on this city’s tradition of sparking curiosity, discovery, and dialogue through community book groups, booksellers like Parnassus Books, and the Nashville Public Library. We’re so proud to be part of this festival’s next chapter.”
Parnassus Books owner Ann Patchett has been integral to keeping the festival alive by asking people to donate $20 to Humanities Tennessee.
“You all played a pivotal role in encouraging other sponsors to step in and in keeping the humanities accessible to everyone in Tennessee,” the bookstore said in an Instagram post.
This year, the festival will feature 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Eig and other bestselling authors.
An author of six books, Eig’s “King: A Life” about Martin Luther King Jr. won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for biography.
Other feature authors appearing at the festival include Beatriz Williams, Michael W. Twitty, David Levithan and Julie Clark and Alix E. Harrow.
A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of “Husbands and Lovers,” The Summer Wives” and the “The Secrete Life of Violet Grant.”
Julie Clark wrote “The Last Flight,” a New York Times bestseller, earning rave reviews for her work and her 2018 debut, “The Ones We Choose,” which has been optioned for television.
Food lovers can rejoice as “America’s Test Kitchen with Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling” will be at the festival.
The popular food series will showcase “When Southern Women Cook,” a cookbook from Tipton-Martin and Bolling featuring more than 300 recipes and stories from Southern regional cuisines and cooking techniques.
More southern culinary staples will be on display as John T. Edge, write of “House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home” will appear at the festival.
Edge is a writer and show host for the “TrueSouth” show on SEC Network.
For a full list of writers and festival activities, visit sofestofbooks.org.
The festival will encompass Bicentennial Mall, the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, featuring authors, exhibits and more.