BOLD, Bookish Fun for Readers of All Ages
Jax Book Fest is Jacksonville Public Library's biggest, BOLDEST celebration of books, creativity, and the local literary community. Held annually at the Main Library in Downtown Jacksonville, this free, one-day event features 90+ local authors across multiple genres and Lit Chat author talks with three nationally acclaimed authors.
Save the Date
Readers of all ages are invited to interact with authors, attend free programs, purchase books, and participate in fun “bookish” activities from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.
Lit Chat Featured Authors
John Patrick Green is the #1 New York Times bestselling writer and artist of the InvestiGators middle-grade graphic novel series as well as the early reader graphic novels Hippopotamister and the Kitten Construction Company duology. He co-writes the InvestiGators spin-off, Agents of S.U.I.T., with writer Christopher Hastings and artist Pat Lewis.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty acclaimed young-adult novels, including The Inheritance Games series, Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was nineteen-years-old and sold her first five books while still in college.
Emma Straub is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books for adults: the novels American Fantasy, This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here, The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married. Emma and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.
Pro Tip: You don't have to wait for Jax Book Fest to meet authors at your library! Check out our Lit Chat series to meet a bestselling, award-winning, debut, or local author every month.
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