{"id":23077,"date":"2025-07-25T12:57:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T12:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/23077\/"},"modified":"2025-07-25T12:57:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T12:57:27","slug":"7-of-the-best-book-festivals-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/23077\/","title":{"rendered":"7 of the best book festivals around the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ritual of convening around books is a worldwide tradition\u2014from the small fishing village of Treasure Beach in Jamaica<\/a> to a countryside street in Wales<\/a>. To pore over a new book in a new setting with like-minded people garners community and inspiration. Add in a gorgeous setting, riveting speakers, and some of the world\u2019s best restaurants and hotels nearby, and book festivals can serve as a starting point for a greater travel adventure, too.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a longtime bibliophile or simply looking to be inspired while traveling, here are seven literature festivals worth visiting that you should consider planning for right now.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This biennial festival showcases the power of community and books to their fullest. Over three days, award-winning author deliver powerful words via an excerpt from their latest book. Past year attendees and speakers have included Padma Lakshmi, Jamaica Kincaid, Zadie Smith, and Angelina Jolie. Afternoons at Calabash Literary Festival are spent in conversation over glasses of rum punch at family-owned Jake\u2019s Hotel, the host of the popular festival. After Hurricane Beryl\u2019s devastation to the region in 2024, the literary festival returned in May 2025, bolstered by an international community. Attendees delighted in hearing the voices of actress\u00a0Sheryl Lee Ralph read from her memoir,\u00a0Diva,\u00a0while Jamaican native Safiya Sinclair read thought-provoking prose from\u00a0How to Say Babylon.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

British poet Linton Kwesi Johnson holds a copy of his book, \u201cTime Come,\u201d at the Calabash International Literary Festival.<\/p>\n

Photograph By Hiroko Masuike\/The New York Times\/Redux<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

During the Calabash International Literary Festival, book lovers can stay at the 49-room Jake\u2019s Hotel, located in Treasure Beach on the south coast of Jamaica.<\/p>\n

Photograph By Christian Heeb\/laif\/Redux<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0When planning a visit, there\u2019s no better place to stay than\u00a0Jake\u2019s Hotel<\/a>, home to a collection of colorful oceanfront bungalows and cottages that are just steps away from the festival\u2019s main stage. The property represents the most authentic taste of Jamaica.<\/p>\n

(10 of Jamaica’s best hotels, from waterfront villas to mountain cabins with a view<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

2. Martha\u2019s Vineyard Book Festivals, Massachusetts, U.S.<\/p>\n

A haven for seaside communion spread over six towns, Martha\u2019s Vineyard plays host to two literary festivals each summer. The\u00a0Martha\u2019s Vineyard Book Festival<\/a>\u00a0sprang from the\u00a0Chilmark Community Center\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0evening lecture series and will celebrate its 20th anniversary this August. The free, weekend-long event\u2019s theme this year is \u201cThe Power of Perspective,\u201d and will take place in the quaint town of Chilmark. Also in August, the\u00a0Martha\u2019s Vineyard Black Book Festival<\/a>\u00a0will draw crowds to the region for its second year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Founded by talent agent powerhouse Traci Wilkes Smith, the festival showcases both aspiring and established Black authors through a variety of panels, fireside chats, and lively social events that demonstrate why the island has been such an important fixture in the Black community for decades. Notable authors who will speak include Kiano Moju, author of\u00a0AfriCali: Recipes from My Jikoni,\u00a0and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. You can also optimize your visit by checking out the popular events that take place in August as well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0Faraway Martha\u2019s Vineyard<\/a>\u00a0offers an impressive collection of shingle-roofed suites and rooms in the idyllic Edgartown. The easiest way to get to Martha\u2019s Vineyard is by plane.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Love reading? These are the best book towns around the world<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This renowned five-day festival in the historic Pink City of Jaipur first began in 2006 as a small gathering for book lovers. Since then, nearly half a million attendees have traveled to India to partake in a literary festival where you can spot a celebrity as easily as your favorite author. This year\u2019s 18th edition featured\u00a0acclaimed writers, Nobel laureates, Booker Prize winners, and luminaries\u00a0like\u00a0Geetanjali Shree and Lucy Caldwell.\u00a0Theatrical adaptations of some books take center stage on the festival\u2019s Music Stage.<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0Consider checking into\u00a0The Oberoi Rajvilas<\/a>, a 68-room palace stretched across 32 acres of manicured lawns that offer respite from the bustle of the city.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

(A guide to Jaipur’s craft scene, from Rajasthani block printing to marble carving<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

People congregate on the lawn during the popular Jaipur Literature Festival, the world\u2019s largest free literary festival.<\/p>\n

Photograph By Radiokafka\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Every September, Brooklyn becomes a literary haven for nine days. As New York City<\/a>\u2019s largest free festival, the Brooklyn Book Festival will celebrate its 25th year this fall with one of the most\u00a0diverse author lineups<\/a>. Many genres are well-represented, including poetry and graphic storytelling. The finale of this festival takes place in parks and plazas across downtown Brooklyn<\/a>. The festival\u2019s literary marketplace features a diverse array of books sold directly by authors and publishers. For those who can\u2019t make it to the festival in person, there\u2019s a\u00a0Virtual Festival Day\u00a0<\/a>to catch the lineup of talent. Beyond the festival, it\u2019s never hard to find something to do in Brooklyn, especially in the fall when temperatures are more agreeable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0Make your home base the legendary\u00a0Beekman\u2014A Thompson Hotel<\/a>, a Martin Brudnizki-designed showstopper with a nine-level atrium and plenty of quiet nooks to cozy up with your next great read.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Seven literary destinations around the UK to inspire children<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Bibliophiles can travel to the charming town of Hay-on-Wye in Wales for the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts.<\/p>\n

Photograph By Jeff Morgan\/Camera Press\/Redux<\/p>\n

Situated against the backdrop of the grassy moorlands and stunning summit views in Wales\u2019 Brecon Beacons National Park, the Hay Festival brings together voices in literature from countries such as Kenya, Peru, and Mexico. Its location in Hay-On-Wye is also quite significant. In the 1960s, antiquarian and academic\u00a0Richard Booth<\/a>\u00a0began filling the empty buildings of the small town with second-hand books. Voracious readers from the United Kingdom and beyond began descending upon this corner of Wales, eagerly pursuing another page-turning treasure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today, this\u00a0popular book town<\/a>\u00a0turns it up another notch with the Hay Festival every May. Beyond conversations with award-winning authors, there are also cooking workshops, tours of centuries-old castles, and musical performances.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0The\u00a0Swan at Hay<\/a>\u00a0is a cozy, 19-room hotel that situated just on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. You can also check into\u00a0Llangoed Hall,<\/a>\u00a0a stately countryside retreat that wows with exceptional attention to detail in each guest room\u2013including a decanted Madeira welcome bottle on arrival. Get more information about how to get to Hay-on-Wye\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Hay-on-Wye and beyond: 5 of the UK & Ireland’s best spring literary festivals<\/a>)<\/p>\n

This mega festival in Berlin<\/a> brings together over\u00a0200 authors and around 20,000 attendees<\/a>\u00a0every spring. Contemporary poetry, prose, nonfiction, graphic novels, and young adult literature are all discussed across 300 events in theaters and museum halls in the city. Speakers in attendance this year include Isabel Allende, author of\u00a0The House of Spirits, and Arundhati Roy, author of\u00a0The God of Small Things. One exciting segment of this festival is its\u00a0Young Program<\/a>, which offers children and teenagers readings and workshops that encourage cultural diversity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

More than 200 authors and 20,000 attendees converge on Berlin for the Berlin International Literature Festival every spring.<\/p>\n

Photograph By Jens Kalaene\/picture alliance\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0Book lovers should consider\u00a0the\u00a0Grand Hyatt Berlin<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Hotel Palace Berlin<\/a>. Both\u00a0hotels are\u00a0just steps away from some of the city\u2019s most popular landmarks, including Berliner Philharmonie (Philharmonic Hall) and\u00a0Berlin Cathedral.<\/p>\n

(How to spend a day exploring Berlin’s art and design scene<\/a>)<\/p>\n

New Orleans<\/a> is renowned for its lively community events, from the revelry of Mardi Gras<\/a> to the palpable joy of a second-line celebration. Every spring, the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival lands in the city\u2019s historic French Quarter. The five-day event pays homage to American writer Tennessee Williams, who was a longtime resident of the Crescent City, where two of his major plays\u2014A Streetcar Named Desire<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Vieux Carr\u00e9<\/a>\u2014were set.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Saints + Sinners Literary Festival<\/a>\u00a0is one of the festival\u2019s programs, created to bring the LGBTQ+ literary community together to celebrate the literary arts. Outside of the festival, spring is an ideal time to explore and appreciate the city\u2019s beauty. The low-hanging oak trees of St. Charles Avenue that shade busy cafes and bars or a drum circle in Congo Square.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where to stay:\u00a0Bibliophiles can stay at the\u00a0Hotel St. Vincent<\/a>\u00a0with its glowing brick facade. Grab a drink poolside or Cajun fried oyster banh mi from the on-site Elizabeth Street Caf\u00e9. At night, the Chapel Club is a dimly lit space with speakeasy vibes and plush chairs to lounge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(How to plan a walking tour exploring the alternative arts scene in New Orleans<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Kristin Braswell\u00a0is a travel journalist and founder of\u00a0Crush Global Travel<\/a>. She has penned pieces for\u00a0Vogue,\u00a0Bon Appetit, USA Today,\u00a0NPR,\u00a0Architectural Digest, and the\u00a0Los Angeles Times, among others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The ritual of convening around books is a worldwide tradition\u2014from the small fishing village of Treasure Beach in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23078,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[353,49,48,75],"class_list":{"0":"post-23077","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23077\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}