The Southern Festival of Books Is Back

There is no shortage of events in Nashville. Whatever niche you’re into (or want to be into), there’s likely an upcoming local event for you — whether it’s the Belcourt’s 12 Hours of Terror overnight marathon of horror screenings or Music City PrEP’s seasonal Gay Farmers Market. But our biggest tentpole events remain few and far between, and if locals have learned anything about life in Music City, it’s that we can’t take anything for granted. It’s reassuring, then, that this year’s Southern Festival of Books — the 38th annual celebration of the written word, presented for the second year in a partnership between Humanities Tennessee and Vanderbilt University — is as strong as it’s ever been.

In these pages, you’ll find coverage of some of the authors and books we’re most excited to celebrate at this year’s fest. There’s an early event with Pulitzer-winning novelist Barbara Kingsolver, who will discuss her provocative new book Partita with Ann Patchett at Vanderbilt’s Langford Auditorium on Oct. 11. You might also make some new discoveries, such as a new biography of Whitney Houston that treats its subject as an extraordinary talent, not just a tragic one, or a book that explores the continuing relevance of Alex Haley’s Roots.

Visit sofestofbooks.org for details on all the events, including a discussion of T. Minton’s chronicle of the Belcourt Theatre, Lindsay Owens’ diatribe against price-gouging, and a film screening about the life of the late Mary Oliver.

Thanks as always to Maria Browning and all the folks at Chapter 16 for their tireless efforts to prioritize quality reviews and interviews with writers. We couldn’t do it without them.