The 34th annual Southern Festival of Books will take place Oct. 14 through 16 — live and in person for the first time since 2019! Stay tuned for our extensive coverage of the fest in the Oct. 6 issue of the Scene. Standouts in the author lineup include Joshua Cohen, Imani Perry, Jami Attenberg and my personal journalism heartthrob, Patrick Radden Keefe.
Following that, our local shops and lit groups have packed the calendar with author events and reasons to add to your to-be-read shelf, all culminating in Songs & Stories With Patti Smith in November. Here’s a list of some of the fall’s best literary events. Some Parnassus Books events are ticketed and require preregistration, so be sure to check out the calendar at parnassusbooks.net first.
The Bookshop
Wednesday, Sept. 21: Mirror House, featuring Dream Chambers, Katilyn Raitz, Loie Rawding and Maxwell Putnam, 7 p.m. at Tempo, 2179 Nolensville Pike
Thursday, Sept. 22: Malaka Gharib, author of It Won’t Always Be Like This, in conversation with Yurina Yoshikawa, 6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Monday, Oct. 10: Elizabeth McCracken, author of The Hero of This Book, in conversation with Ann Patchett,6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Wednesday, Oct. 12: Maggie O’Farrell, author of The Marriage Portrait, in conversation with Ann Patchett, 7 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Wednesday, Oct. 19: Barbara Kingsolver, author of Demon Copperhead, in conversation with Ann Patchett, 6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Thursday, Oct. 20: The Bookshop’s Spooky Books and Beer: A Book Fair for Grownups, 6-9 p.m. at East Nashville Beer Works, 320 E. Trinity Lane
Margo Price, June 25, 2020
Sunday, Oct. 23: Jon Meacham, author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, 2 p.m. at Montgomery Bell Academy, Paschall Theater, 4001 Harding Pike
Saturday, Nov. 5: Sarajane Case, author of The Enneagram Letters: A Poetic Exploration of Who You Thought You Had to Be, 4 p.m. at The Bookshop, 1043 W. Eastland Ave.
Monday, Nov. 7: Kevin Wilson, author of Now Is Not the Time to Panic, 6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Tuesday, Nov. 8: Ross Gay, author of Inciting Joy, in coversation with Adam Ross, 6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Wednesday, Nov. 9: Birthing the Book: A Conversation With Adria Bernardi, 7 p.m. at The Porch Writers’ Collective, 2811 Dogwood Place
Wednesday, Nov. 16: Margo Price, author of Maybe We’ll Make It, in conversation with Ann Powers, 6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
Monday, Nov. 21: Songs & Stories With Patti Smith, author of A Book of Days, 7 p.m. at OZ Arts, 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle
From festivals and markets to concerts, theater, films and more, here are some of autumn’s best happenings
