A Full Day of Free Workshops for Local Writers
Jax Book Fest is a big, bold celebration of authors, authorship, and the written word—held annually at the Main Library in Downtown Jacksonville. This year, Jax Book Fest is being held over two Saturdays in September. The first weekend will focus on workshops for local writers; the second Saturday (September 20) will be devoted to young readers and connecting them with books they'll love.
At this year's Jax Book Fest: Writers' Day from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 13, in the Conference Center at the Main Library, you'll be able to pick from over a dozen different workshops—lead by publishers, authors, and other industry insiders. As a special treat, there will be both a writing workshop and author talk with National Book Award winner, Tiya Miles. Between workshops, there will also be tours, opportunities to network with local writer's groups, and more.
The event and all programs are free to attend. All visitors will enter via the doors at 303 N. Laura St.
# 2025 Event Schedule
Follow a Single Track or Choose Your Own Adventure
There will be four breakout sessions, each lasting one hour, with workshops scheduled at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Depending on which program or track(s) you choose, you'll meet representatives from traditional, small, hybrid/subsidy, and indie publishing including Simon & Schuster, Kensington Publishing Corp., Indigo River Publishing, and BiblioBoard (Pressbooks Public).
A Jacksonville Public Library card is required for pre-registration. If you do not have a card, click here to apply online. Registered attendees are seated first. Walk-ins are welcome (as space permits).
Please note: Two of the workshops in the Publishing Track repeat (two or three times) to give you more flexibility in your schedule. Some of our lecture-style workshops can accommodate 100 or more attendees while the more "hands-on" workshops may limit attendance.
# Jax Book Fest 2025 Featured Author
Writing Women's Lives
What do we seek to find when we write about our female family members, women in our community, women in history, or even ourselves? In an extra special Writer's Lab workshop with Tiya Miles, participants will explore a series of writing prompts and exercises, covering various forms (history, fiction, memoir, journaling), as well as the challenges and rewards of this kind of writing.
A Bonus Lit Chat Interview
Join us from 4 to 5 p.m., immediately after Writer's Day, for a Lit Chat Interview with Tiya Miles in the Hicks Auditorium. The author of eight books, including four prizewinning histories about race and slavery, Tiya Miles is best known for the New York Times bestselling and 2021 National Book Award-winning book, All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake. Her latest work is Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith and Dreams of a Free People, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in biography.
Note: The programs with Tiya Miles are made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
# In Between Workshops
Take a Tour of Library Resources, Public Art
There will be opportunities to network with local writer's groups in between sessions as well as a break for lunch between the morning and afternoon workshops. During this break, we're offering a few different tours of the Main Library where you can learn about the public art on display or tour free writer's resources offered by the Special Collections Department including:
- How to access local newspapers, subject and bio files, atlases, and city directories
- Pro tips for making your books useful to researchers
- Using the Library’s digital images in your publication (copyright guidelines, use restrictions)
- Digitization equipment available for scanning your own images in the Memory Lab
Network with Local Writers Groups
Representatives from several Northeast Florida organizations will exhibit at this year's event. If you're looking for feedback from fellow authors or just more learning opportunities, stop by their table. The list includes: Clay County Writers (sponsored by the Florida Writers Association), First Coast Romance Writers, Mystery Writers of America (Florida Chapter), Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers of Jacksonville, FL (SFFJAX), Women Writing for (a) Change - Jacksonville, and The Write Vibe.
If you are an individual or group directly related to the advancement of the work of writers/illustrators and/or publishing and would like to set up a table at Jax Book Fest: Writers' Day, please email jplprograms@coj.net. Each group is given one six-foot table, which they may use to promote their organization/business and/or feature work by member authors.
Creative Break & Networking
Need a short break from note-taking and writing exercises? Create your first mini zine or business card zine using a risograph printer! If you're not attending a one o'clock breakout session, or you have a little extra time after lunch, stop by the Center for Adult Learning. We're hosting a short "creative break" and informal networking activity along with Andrew Kozlowski, an artist and educator based in Jacksonville. Magazines, drawing utensils, and other zine-making materials will be provided.
Note: The entrance to CAL is located in the hallway connecting the Library to the Conference Center.
While you're here, check out the Library's Zine Collection or visit jaxlibrary.org/zines to learn how you can donate your own zines, indie comics, and chapbooks. Housed on the first floor of the Main Library, zines are fully searchable in our catalog and available to check out.
Need ideas for lunch? There are several restaurants downtown, within walking distance, that are open for lunch on Saturdays. Stop by our event info table for a complete list.
Reminder: Street parking downtown is FREE on Saturdays! If you prefer, parking will also be available in the Duval Street Parking Garage at 33 W. Duval Street, next to the Main Library. During special events, parking is $5 (cash preferred) and there is no validation.
# Supporting Local Authors All Year Long
Jacksonville Public Library strives to make the work of Jacksonville-area authors more accessible to the reading public. To that end, we offer monthly Writer's Lab workshops, Lit Chat author talks, free self-publishing tools, and curated collections all to highlight and help encourage local authorship.
Click the links below to find out more.
Additional reading:
- Find other Jax authors in the #ReadLocal Collection on BiblioBoard Library
- Watch past Lit Chat Interviews on YouTube or listen on our Completely Booked podcast
Get featured in an upcoming Lit Chat or Writer's Lab
- Review our policy for Library Programs for the Public and complete a Suggest a Program Form
- If you have questions about the form, please email us at jplprograms@coj.net.
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