Southern Festival of Books Heads to Bicentennial Mall Oct. 21-22
The 35th annual Southern Festival of Books returns to Nashville later this month but this time with one big change.
The festival is organized by Humanities Tennessee and is one of the oldest literary celebrations in the country. The main home for most of its 35 years years has been the Capitol’s Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building. The festival moves most of it events this year to Bicentennial Mall with events at the Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee State Library.
“The 2023 festival is a milestone year for us, as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Southern Festival of Books and move to an incredible new location at Bicentennial Mall,” said Humanities Tennessee executive director Tim Henderson. “We are once again honored to welcome so many talented and respected authors as we gather thousands of book lovers for the ultimate celebration of the written word.”
Nearly 150 authors are scheduled to appear at this year’s festival. They’ll convene on the weekend of October 20-21 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. Nashville’s Parnassus Books is the festival bookseller.
The events headliner is Florida novelist Carl Hiassen. The former Miami Herald columnist began writing novels in his spare time. He’s now penned 20 books. Mostly set in Florida they include “Tourist Season,” “Bad Monkey,” and “Razor Girl.”
His first young adult novel, “Hoot,” was published in 2002. The book was adapted into a movie in 2006. Other young adult novels from Hiassen include “Flush,” “Scat,” “Chomp,” “Skink — No Surrender,” and his new book, “Wrecker.”
A series of community events will take place October 15-19, leading up to the festival. These include: a National Black Poetry Day event, presented by Po’ Boys and Poets in East Park on Sunday, October 15, a spoken-word workshop with Tennessee State University students conducted by poet Terrance Hayes, followed by a public reading, discussion and book signing on Wednesday, October 18, and a ticketed author talk with science fiction writer John Scalzi at Parnassus Books on Thursday, October 19.
The 2023 Southern Festival of Books roster includes Ann Patchett, Jefferson Cowie, Timothy Egan, Tracy Kidder, Chrissy Metz, Drew Gilpin Faust, Ben Fountain, Mark Greaney, Gary Gulman, Megan Miranda, Ann Patchett, Margaret Renkl, Etaf Rum and Lee Smith, and more.
For a full lineup of festival authors, visit sofestofbooks.org.
In addition to 75 sessions over two days, the festival also features 60 vendors and food trucks, and three performance stages. A music stage focuses on Nashville performers. The performing arts stage offers theater, spoken word, and poetry throughout the weekend. The festival children’s stage and activity center features authors, musicians, performers, crafts, character costumes, and parties celebrating beloved children’s books.
The always popular Authors in the Round Dinner, co-chaired by Laura Smith and LoLita Toney, is schedule for Friday, October 20, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The event allows guests to dine alongside 40 regionally and nationally known authors and is the festival’s signature fundraiser, ensuring that Humanities Tennessee can present the annual festival free of charge. The event is sold out for 2023.
