The Southern Festival of Books released its 2024 author lineup at an Author Reveal Party Thursday at the Tennessee State Museum. Humanities Tennessee announced that more than 150 authors are expected to appear at the 36th annual Southern Festival of Books, which will return in person to the Bicentennial Mall, Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee State Library and Archives on Oct. 26 and 27.
Reads a press release: "Returning for the second year, a designated Student Day will be held on Thursday, Oct. 24, welcoming 500 Metro Nashville high school students for author meet-and-greets, writing exercises and book giveaways."
Per the release, here's a list of community events that will take place during the week of the festival:
• An evening with Erik Larson at Montgomery Bell Academy on Thursday, Oct. 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.
• The second annual Southern Festival of Books Writers' Workshop in partnership with The Porch on Friday, Oct. 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.
• A special presentation of Eric Dawson’s Suttree’s Knoxville: A Hymn to the Past in Film and Music on Saturday, Oct. 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.
• Joan Baez will be at the festival with her poetry collection When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance. Baez is a dynamic force of nature. Her commitment to music and social activism has earned global recognition, ranging from induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the Ambassador of Conscience Award, Amnesty International’s highest honor.
• Known for her New York Times bestselling essay collections I Was Told There'd Be Cake and How Did You Get This Number, Sloane Crosley will be at the festival talking about her new, and first full-length nonfiction book, Grief Is for People. A two-time finalist for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, Crosley is also a contributing editor for Vanity Fair and her work has appeared in publications including Esquire, the New York Times Book Review, the New York Review of Books and Vogue.
It’s exciting to see big names on this list, especially when some of those names are local. Some of the Nashville-based authors at this year’s festival are Ann Patchett, Margaret Renkl, Alice Randall and Ann Powers. Other local authors of note include Steven Hale, Mary Liza Hartong, Jonathan Metzl, Joe Nolan, Betsy Phillips, Liz Riggs and Jeff Zentner, among others.
“I love the Southern Festival of Books, and I get real giggy-excited about the reveal party,” said Ann Marie Norrid, a bookstagrammer with a large Instagram following. “I love getting to have these kind of intimate meetings with authors. I think that's so much fun and the Southern Festival of Books always gets the best lineups. I love meeting other bookish people too.”
More from the release:
In addition to 75 sessions over two days, the festival features over 60 vendors and food trucks, and three performance stages. A music stage focuses on the incredible talent of the Nashville music community, and 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, chaired by Allison Stansberry will be held on Friday, October 25, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Authors in the Round, which allows guests to dine alongside more than 40 regionally and nationally known authors, is the festival’s signature fundraiser, ensuring that Humanities Tennessee can present the annual festival free of charge.
For a full lineup of festival authors, visit sofestofbooks.org. Additional authors and other special announcements will be added to the list every Friday.
