#Jax Book Fest returns September 20-21
Hey, Jax readers! Are you ready for the next Jax Book Fest?! Celebrate great books, bestselling authors, and (of course) READING with us and hundreds of your fellow book fans on Saturday, September 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Main Library at 303 N. Laura St. in downtown Jacksonville.
Celebrating Readers of All Ages
The event includes Lit Chat Interviews and Talks with three #1 New York Times bestselling authors, the opportunity to meet and support dozens of local authors, multiple live children's performers, scavenger hunts, and other fun book-related activities.
The event is free to attend and open to all. If you'd like to save your seat at a Lit Chat or Writer's Lab program, pre-registration is strongly recommended (as some programs may reach capacity). You'll need a Jacksonville Public Library card to register in advance. If you don't have a card and you are a Duval County resident, you can apply online in as little as two minutes.
Join Us Early for Writer's Day
Are you an aspiring author? Want to be a part of a future Jax Book Fest? Are you itching to see your book on the Library's shelves? Join us Friday, September 20, from 12 to 5 p.m. for free writing and publishing workshops! Read the complete schedule below.
Be the first to know about and register for Lit Chat author talks, Writer's Lab workshops, and more!
#READER'S DAY
Saturday, September 21
Meet #1 New York Times Bestselling Authors
Authors are the best kinds of celebrities! Wouldn't you agree? With our Lit Chat author series, you can get to know authors everyone's talking about - live and in person at your local library!
Our Main Events:
- Junior Lit Chat (for children, ages 5-12 and their families) from 10 - 10:30 a.m.
- Includes a short presentation by the author, followed by an audience Q&A
- Seating for the program will begin at 9 a.m.
- Standing room will be available when seats are taken
- Teen Lit Chat (for teens, ages 12-17) from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Includes a 40-minute conversation with an interviewer and a 20-minute audience Q&A
- Seating for the program will begin at 10:30 a.m.
- An overflow room will be available for attendees over the 380-seat limit
- Lit Chat Interview (for adult book fans) from 2-3 p.m.
- Includes a 40-minute conversation with an interviewer and a 20-minute audience Q&A
- Seating for the program will begin at 1 p.m.
- An overflow room will be available for attendees over the 380-seat limit
Note: We'll be announcing our featured authors on social media over the next few weeks! Follow @jaxlibrary on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Featured Author Book Signings
Our featured authors will sign books for one hour after their respective Lit Chat programs. You may bring a copy from home, purchased from your favorite bookstore. There will also be a local bookseller on-site with a limited number of copies for sale.
Get to Know Up-and-Coming Local Authors
There will be dozens of Jacksonville-based and other Florida authors set up at vendor tables on the Conference Level as well as on the first and second floors of the Main Library. Find your next favorite book, series, or author and support local talent!
If you're a writer yourself, this is also your chance to do some networking with fellow authors or join a writer's group. Note: A complete list of participating local authors will be available closer to the event.
Kids Programs and Activities
Our friends at the Early Learning Coalition of Duval and Kids Hope Alliance are working closely with your favorite children's librarians to make this year's event one to remember! They're taking over the entire second floor of the Main Library! We'll have children's local book authors and illustrators set up in the atrium, a storytime with Ms. Owl in the children's theatre, a special Live from the Library children's performance, balloon artists, face painters, and more!
Throughout the event, kids can Fish for Books, Make a Book About Me, join a Bubble Party in the Courtyard, and participate in scavenger hunts!
There will also be designated Quiet Rooms on the Conference Level and Second Floor with Sensory Kits if you or your children need a short break.
Talented Teens Showcase
We're giving the spotlight and a mic to some talented local student writers in the Teen Room!
- LaVilla School of the Arts (time TBA)
- Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (time TBA)
Event Parking
The Duval Street Parking Garage is charging just $5 for the day. The entrance to the parking garage is located at 33 W Duval St. Disabled parking is available on Floors 1, 3, 4, and 5. Elevators are available on Floors 3 through 6. Note: All visitors will enter the Main Library via the Laura Street entrance.
Reminder: During special events, there is no validation for library customers parking in the garage. However, street parking is free on the weekend. For more parking options in downtown Jacksonville, or to download the ParkMobile App, visit dtjax.com. If you're parking a few blocks away, electric scooters are also available for rent via smartphone from 5 a.m. to midnight at designated, geofenced corrals.
Visiting Downtown
Looking for lunch options and other things to see and do downtown as a family? Check out VisitJax.com for listings and recommendations.
#WRITER'S DAY
Friday, September 20
Are you an aspiring author? Thinking about self-publishing? Need tips for marketing your work? Learn how to get your book on the library's shelves and more! Join us Friday, September 20 from 12 - 5 p.m. for free workshops on writing and publishing! In between workshops, you'll also have the opportunity to network with fellow writers and several writer's groups.
Repeating Workshops
(Limited seating, Center for Adult Learning: Computer Lab)
Our partners at Biblioboard will be offering FREE one-hour, hands-on workshops on how to format and publish your manuscript using Pressbooks. With this FREE online tool, you can submit your e-book to the Florida Indie Author Collection or get your manuscript ready for on-demand printing. Pressbooks is a great option if you want complete control over your own content or the ability to collaborate with other authors and editors.
Choose the time that works best for you: 12 - 1 p.m., 2-3 p.m., 4-5 p.m. You can use the Library's computers to follow along or feel free to bring your own laptop.
Hands-On Workshops
(50 seats available, Conference Center: Multipurpose Room 1)
- Writer's Lab: Poetry Unleashed (Building Bonds Through Verse)
- Workshop with Taryn "Love Reigns" Wharwood from 12 - 1:30 p.m.
- Writer's Lab: Visual Storytelling
- Workshop with our featured children's author* from 2:30 - 4 p.m.
*Our featured children's book author/illustrator will be announced in early August.
Lecture-Style Workshops
(380+ seats available, Conference Center: Hicks Auditorium)
- Writer's Lab: Sense of Place & Identity in Immigrant Fiction
- Workshop with Sohrab Homi Fracis from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
- Writer's Lab: Writing Stories, Lifting Voices, Sharing Lives
- Oral History 101 workshop with Dr. Kitty Oliver from 4 - 5 p.m.
- This program is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Networking Space for Writers
Looking to make friends with and learn from other authors? Need help getting your manuscript ready to print? From accountability partners and feedback on each other's works-in-progress to writing tips and advice for avoiding pitfalls and navigating the publishing (and self-publishing) worlds... Whatever genre you're working in, there's a writer's group that's right for you!
Drop by the Conference Level Learning Space anytime between 12 - 5 p.m. on Friday for networking and resources. We'll be joined by Authors Roundtable of Northeast Florida, First Coast Romance Writers, Women Writing for (a) Change Jacksonville, and others.
Get Ready for Jax Book Fest
If you're tabling at Jax Book Fest, you might want to register for the Writer's Lab: Polish Your Pitch workshop with Authors Roundtable on Saturday, August 17 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Main Library. During this two-hour hands-on workshop, you'll work with seasoned professionals to craft a compelling and persuasive elevator pitch, transform your speaking skills to effectively engage and connect with an audience, and record a short video you can use for marketing, social media, and other professional purposes.
Authors Roundtable is a local 501C3 that supports authors in reaching their highest potential by hosting educational forums, workshops, classes, and events. You can also join them one Saturday a month in the same room (or live on Zoom) to get help writing, editing, publishing, or marketing your book. All genres are welcome.
Are you a Local Author?
At this time, there is no "open call" for additional participating authors. However, if you are a member of a participating Writer's Group, be sure to let group leadership know that you're interested in setting up a table at Jax Book Fest.
Whether you're tabling or attending Jax Book Fest this year, it's a great time to Submit your Book to the Local Author Collection or Market Your Book to the Library. You can also donate your e-book to the Indie Florida Collection on Biblioboard Library by using Pressbooks or Indie Author Project. Let us help you find more readers!
We also have an Open Call for Zines and Self-Published Comics as well as an event celebrating the DIY and printed matter community! Join us for Duval Comic and Zine Fest (held annually in June). There's also a monthly Zinester Meetup at the Main Library on the first Wednesday of the Month (during Art Walk). Or, you can drop in on select Saturdays from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. at Main Library for Saturday Morning Cartooning.
