Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors

Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors


 

FESTIVAL AUTHORS

A full list of the 2024 featured Festival authors who will all appear on Saturday, September 28 will be available in August 2024 with pictures, bios, and book information.

We are accepting open submissions for this year's Festival. For submission details and deadlines click here. 

FESTIVAL BOOKS

The 2024 Festival catalog of featured titles will be available in August 2024. You can purchase Festival books in the bookstore tent on Saturday, September 28, or at our special "Books and Bites" event on Friday, September 27.

SCHEDULE & MAP

All events on Saturday, September 28 are free and open to the public. The schedule and map will be shared in September 2024.


TICKETED & SPECIAL EVENTS - Will be announced August 2024


FOOD TRUCKS

On Saturday, September 28 food trucks will be parked in the large parking lot between Poplar St NW and N Spruce Street. Please note that a lot of vendors and food trucks only accept cash; the closest ATM is located at Truist Bank on the corner of 2nd and Spruce Streets. This year's selection will be announced in August 2024.

Registration is now open for food truck vendors.  

EXHIBITORS

On Saturday, September 28 exhibitor booths will be featured in the Foundations Early Learning Center parking lot (located directly beside the Bookmarks bookstore) and along Poplar Street, Holly Avenue, and Spruce Street. Will be announced in August 2024.

Registration is now open for exhibitors.  


FAQs & WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

If you have questions about the Festival, you can probably find the answer on this page. If not, be sure to email us!


GET  INVOLVED

Would you like to help with our Festival of Books and Authors? Festival volunteering offers fun opportunities to serve with other people who love books and be part of an exciting all-day literary event! Being able to attend often sold-out panels and the ability to chat with the visiting authors are among the most sought-after perks of being a Bookmarks volunteer. Training and background checks are mandatory for all volunteers. You must be 18 or older to volunteer by yourself; otherwise, you must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteer assignments can include handing out information to attendees, set up and set down, organizing and running errands, hospitality and booksignings, and more. To sign up, register here

KEEP THE FESTIVAL FREE!

Bookmarks is unique in that we fully program, plan, and run our annual festival. Though we receive funding from multiple sources, there is no backing entity that supports the Bookmarks Festival. We are a 501(c)(3) and not only do we book our authors and handle all the logistics, we also sell all the books! No other book festival in the country operates exactly as we do!

Though Bookmarks began as an annual book festival, we have become much more! Our programming and outreach continues to grow each year as we continue to find ways to increase access to books. Help us create a community where the power of the book brings forth connection and belonging for every person. Investing in Bookmarks is investing in the literacy, the artistic vibrancy, and the cultural growth of this community.

Make a donation today to go towards our Festival goal of marking the event accessible. 


19 YEARS OF LITERARY EXCELLENCE

We are proud to have hosted more than 750 authors from around the world through the years at the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors. We are celebrating our 18th festival this September and hope you will join us. Previous festival authors have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the American Book Award, the Lambda and Alex Awards, the Nebula and Hugo Awards, the NAACP Image Award, the World Fantasy Award and the American Book Award. They have been named “Thriller Master”, the top award given by the International Thriller Writers Association, and have been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. They have received MacArthur fellowships, NEA fellowships, and the National Medal of Arts. They’ve been USA Today, NPR, and New York Magazine bestsellers. They’ve written 109 New York Times bestsellers and spent a cumulative 10 years on the NYT bestseller list. They’ve received the American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, Teen Choice Award, Coretta Scott King Award, and a Tony Award. They host podcasts, teach, edit, and have founded nonprofits. They are principal violinists in symphony orchestras; they are pilots and chefs and professional baseball players. They have received honorary doctorates, founded scholarships, and served on USO tours. They’ve been president of Mystery Writers of America, the Authors Guild, and they’ve competed on Jeopardy! They’ve been Reese Picks, Indie Bookseller picks, and sold more than 250 million copies of their books worldwide. Their books have been translated into 40+ languages, and their books have been adapted for tv and movies. Authors will be announced for the 2024 Festival starting in August. 

Bookmarks began as an annual book festival in 2004. The Festival of Books & Authors has since grown to be the largest annual book festival in the Carolinas, reaching tens of thousands of readers each year. Since its beginnings as a book festival, Bookmarks has grown to be a 501(c)(3) literary arts nonprofit organization and bookstore in downtown Winston-Salem. All of Bookmarks' programming, including the Festival of Books & Authors, is part of the organization's mission to cultivate community by bringing people of all ages together with books and authors that educate, inspire, challenge, and entertain. Click here to learn more about Bookmarks' history and mission.

 

 


WHAT TO DO & WHERE TO STAY

Traveling from out of town for the Festival? Please note that there is a lot going on in Winston-Salem that weekend, so you'll want to make a reservation early! Downtown hotels include The Hampton Inn Downtown, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton Cardinal, Winston-Salem Marriott, The Hawthorne Inn, and the Brookstown Inn. For a full list of places to stay, please check out Visit Winston-Salem

Three circles, the first with people standing in line at a tent, the second a bottle of wine and tote bag a bed at a hotel and the third a picture of a book festival with the winston skyline in the back.

New to Winston-Salem? Check out our recommended places to visit while you're in town! (*under construction)