Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s media and lifestyle brand for women, has announced the launch of STORYfest, a four-part, in-person fan festival beginning on June 16 in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood.
The event series—which will continue with gatherings on July 21, August 18, and September 26—will feature a conversation and book signings with Reese’s Book Club authors, as well as other interactive programming, per a release. The inaugural event will feature authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray discussing their novel A Pair of Aces, the Reese’s Book Club pick for June.
Hello Sunshine, which is backed by Blackstone-managed investment capital, also recently launched a Gen-Z focused arm, Sunnie, which debuted its own book club in December 2025. In the STORYfest announcement, Reese’s Book Club EVP Kristin Perla said Hello Sunshine is enhancing its effort to build “an ecosystem where audiences can engage with women-centered stories in every part of their lives.”
Separately, Perla told PW that they’ve seen “a growing appetite for experiences that bring people together around shared interests.” Recently, Amazon announced its own in-person fan festival, citing similar demand for in-person programming.
When asked about striking a balance between catering to fans and elevating new voices, Perla added that part of Hello Sunshine’s goal is “introducing readers to authors and perspectives they may not have encountered before.”
STORYfest is sponsored by Target, which will offer giveaways and “digitally enabled experiences” for fans to shop Reese’s Book Club titles.