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Everything you need to know about Boston Book Festival 2024
Your guide to Boston Book Festival 2024, including keynote speakers and must-see local authors and poets at the free annual event in Copley Square.
Bringing in over 200 authors spanning a variety of genres, join decorated writers and book fanatics at the 16th annual Boston Book Festival for a day full of engaging panels, live music, and an outdoor fair.
“All together, our full line-up of writers offers diverse voices with powerful stories making the 2024 Boston Book Festival an event to remember,” said Boston Book Festival Executive Director Jenny Dworkin in a press release about the event.
Starting the weekend off strong is seven-time New York Times bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, who will be celebrating milestones in his literary career on Friday, October 25.
The sold-out event will commemorate the approaching 25th anniversary of his book “The Tipping Point,” an analysis of the psychology behind consumerism, and its sequel “Revenge of the Tipping Point,” which was published earlier this month.
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The sequel offers fresh perspectives on ideas introduced in “The Tipping Point” while also examining “social epidemics in light of the events and lessons of recent years.” His “most personal and urgent book yet,” Gladwell’s crowd is in for an engaging conversation about consumer trends, human behavior, and social dynamics.
“We are thrilled to bring Malcolm Gladwell to Boston for his exclusive New England stop this fall,” said Dworkin. “Malcolm, along with our other keynotes, are world-class writers and thought leaders who captivate, challenge, and enlighten audiences.”
Sit in on a panel with 2024 Nobel Prize co-winner and institute professor of economics at MIT, Daron Acemoglu, for a discussion on how technological innovation has shaped human history, and its lasting impact on class structures and economic imbalances.
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Acemoglu will be joined by Yale professor and author Sunil Amrith and the host of GBH News’ All Things Considered, Arun Rath.
For those that enjoy poetry, this year’s Poetry Off The Page presentation is bringing together five local poets whose compelling word-play fuses together activism, inclusivity, and self-expression. The event will be moderated by two-time Boston Music Awards winner, artist, and activist Amanda Shea.
With over 70 sessions to choose from, readers of all ages are in for an enriching treat. Below, we’ve put together a list of authors and discussions you won’t want to miss this year.
Keynote speakers
Louise Erdrich
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning Indigenous-American novelist and poet Louise Erdrich will talk about her new book, “The Mighty Red.” This compelling story follows the lives of community members in North Dakota as they navigate changes in their environment as a result of fracking and climate change, all while in the throes of the 2008-2009 economic downturn.
Fiction Keynote: Louise Erdrich; Saturday, October 26, 3 p.m., at Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury St.
Francis Collins
Former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and renowned distinguished geneticist, Francis Collins, will give a presentation on his book, “The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust” which dissects the interlaced connection between religion, truth, science, and trust since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from professional experience, Collins provides a framework for how to navigate the most pressing social and political matters concerning Americans through the lenses of psychology, science, and morality.
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Science and Society: Francis Collins; Saturday, October 26, 11:45 a.m., at Boston Public Library’s Rabb Hall, 700 Boylston St.
Aiden Thomas
New York Times bestselling author Aiden Thomas will discuss their novel “Celestial Monsters,” the sequel to mythological fantasy The Sunbearer Trials. “Celestial Monsters” follows three young semidioses (children of the gods and humans living in the book’s kingdom) as they travel through the world with no sun and monsters lurking in the dark among them. On a mission to secure their protective light to restore order in the kingdom, main characters Teo, Aurelio, and Niya battle monsters in the physical world – and of their own – all while trying to navigate a sparking romance between Teo and Aurelio. The fate of the world depends on them.
YA Keynote; Saturday, October 26, 5 p.m., at Mary Norton Hall at Old South Church, 645 Boylston St.
Sebastian Smee
From The Boston Globe’s “20 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Fall” list, Pulitzer-Prize winning art critic Sebastian Smee tells the compelling story of the emergence of the Impressionist movement in his new novel “Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism”. Forced to surrender to the German army during the Siege of Paris, the “Terrible Year” for the city gave way to an enduring artistic movement amidst complete chaos in France’s capital.
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Art History Keynote: Paris in Ruins; Saturday, October 26, 4:30 p.m., Boston Public Library’s Rabb Hall, 700 Boylston St.
Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado
Set in Southern California, “Fatal Intrusion” is a fiction thriller that follows the gripping tale of a hunt to catch a killer during a series of murders. The case hits close to home for Homeland Security agent Carmen Sanchez after her sister is attacked, revealing a connection to the murders. Teaming up with Professor Jake Heron, the duo race against time to stop the damage.
Mystery Keynote: The Art and Allure of Suspense; Saturday, October 26, 12 p.m., at Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury St.
Local authors and poets at the Boston Book Festival
Ben Shattuck
Highly esteemed author and Massachusetts native Ben Shattuck will join Stephen Kiernan, Wendy Chen, and Jessica Shattuck for a panel discussion on multi-family generational stories. His widely praised first book, “Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau,” earned its spot on multiple best-book lists, including the New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times, and was declared a New England indie bestseller. On the panel, Shattuck will talk about his latest book, “The History of Sound,” a collection of twelve short stories across three centuries detailing the intricacies of love, loss, and how the past is not always left behind us.
Shattuck is also a winner of the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, a Pushcart Prize recipient, and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He currently owns and runs Davolls General Store, the oldest one of its kind in America. Pouring into fellow writers, Shattuck is the founder and director of Cuttyhunk Island Writers’ Residency.
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Generational Stories; Saturday, October 26, 4:15 p.m., at Old South Church, 645 Boylston St.
Marjorie Liu
New York Times bestselling author and writer for Marvel Comics Marjorie Liu will talk about her latest novel, “Wingborn”, during a panel discussion on middle grade literature. The sequel to no. 1 IndieBound bestselling novel “Wingbearer”, main character Zuli finds herself on a path of self-discovery while on a mission to help her bird friends and fix the world in the process.
Exploring the world of fantasy in children’s literature, Liu will be joined by fellow authors Craig Kofi Farmer, Piper CJ, and children’s librarian Patricia C. Lawley.
MIDDLE GRADE: Fantasy: Different Worlds…right in front of you; Saturday, October 26, 1:15 p.m., at Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St.
Jerald Walker
Acclaimed author and professor, Jerald Walker, will present his latest book, “Magically Black and Other Essays,“ which explores the complexities of Black American life. From politics, incarceration, home renovations, and more, Walker uses humor as a driving force to talk about pressing issues that hit close to home for him and many other Black Americans.
During his career, Walker has earned the PEN/New England Award for Nonfiction, won a Massachusetts Book award for Nonfiction for “How to Make a Slave and Other Essays,” and was a finalist for the National Book Award for the piece. Walker is also a professor of creative writing and African American literature at Emerson College.
Memoir: Creating Identity; Saturday, October 26, 1:15 p.m. at Old South Church, 645 Boylston St.
Mark Cecil
Podcast host and former Reuters reporter, Mark Cecil, published his first book “Bunyan and Henry: Or, the Beautiful Destiny” earlier this year. This reimagined story of adventure follows two American folk legends who happened to cross paths. The friendship of Paul Bunyan and John Henry while on their journey through America offers a “deeper interrogations of race, class, and industrialization”, as stated in the book’s description on Goodreads.
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Joined by Crystal King, Stephen McCauley, and Whitney Scharer, this session will explore “The Hero’s Journey” archetype in literature.
SPARK: The Call to Adventure; Saturday, October 26, 2 p.m., at Newsfeed Cafe, 700 Boylston St.
Joan Wickersham
Joan Wickersham is no stranger to Boston. Teaching fiction and memoir writing at Harvard, Emerson College, UMass Boston, and the Bennington Writing Seminars, Wickersham’s literary prowess extends to her work for the Globe, where she has been a regular op-ed columnist for the past 15 years. Her critically acclaimed memoir, The Suicide Index, was a National Book Award Finalist and appeard on numerous “best book of the year” lists, including The Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, and The Washington Post among others.
Her latest book, “No Ship Sets Out To Be A Shipwreck”, tells the story of the 17th century Swedish warship, Vasa, that sank minutes into its first voyage and remained underwater for 300 years. This story examines the relationship between death and rebirth, not only for the ship and those impacted by it, but in her own life as well.
SPARK: Using Form To Explore Universal Truths; Saturday, October 26, 11 a.m., at News Feed Cafe, 700 Boylston Street
Freddie Kölsch
It’s not too late to add to your list of scary reads for the month. In “Now, Conjures”, Salem-based author Freddie Kölsch’s writing is both spooky and savvy, as the main characters try to find out what happened to a fellow member of the North Coven. Set in North Dana, Mass., this young adult novel combines fantasy, mystery, and horror with nods to the power of love that comes along with finding a chosen family.
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Kölsch will be joined by authors Kendare Blake, LaDarrion Williams, and Rebecca Podos for a conversation about fantasy and young adult literature. “Now, Conjures” is her first novel.
Magic to Save, Magic to Shatter; Saturday, October 26, 3 p.m., at Teen Central, 700 Boylston St.
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