Read the participating author biographies here.
Enjoy the panel videos of the 2020 festival below.
Thursday, September 10
7:00 p.m. Opening Conversation
Chris Bohjalian, The Red Lotus
Jim DeFilippi, Pals, Punks, and Pagans: Stories and Studies of the Criminal’s Mind
Friday, September 11
7:00-7:30 p.m. Red Carpet
7:30 p.m. Keynote Conversation: Kiley Reid, Such a Fun Age
Introduction by Brunonia Barry.
Saturday, September 12
Children’s Lit Fest
These live readings were not recorded.
10:00 a.m. Story Hour
Calef Brown, Up Verses Down
Samara Cole Doyon, Magnificent Homespun Brown
Rajani LaRocca, Seven Golden Rings
Scott Magoon, Linus the Little Yellow Pencil
Adult Author Panels and Conversations
Panels are 45 minutes.
10:00 a.m. Reckoning with Faith
Alena Dillon, Mercy House
Mimi LeMay, What We Will Become
Moderator: Meghan MacLean Weir, The Book of Essie
11:30 a.m. Writing My Life
Calvin Hennick, Once More to the Rodeo
Grace Talusan, The Body Papers
Moderator: J.D. Scrimgeour, Themes for English B
1:00 p.m. Giving Stories Voice
Aaron Mahnke, LORE podcast
Sara Sheckells, voice actor
Moderator: Matt Phillion, The Tomb of the Maker (The Dungeon Crawlers)
2:00 p.m. Conversation—Writers Writing Writers
Emily Henry, Beach Read
Laura Zigman, Separation Anxiety
3:00 p.m. Conversation—Meet the Debuts
Elizabeth Ames, The Other’s Gold
Alexis Schaitkin, Saint X
4:00 p.m. Reclaiming Identities
Adrienne Brodeur, Wild Game
Jeffrey Colvin, Africaville
Moderator: Marjan Kamali, The Stationery Shop
7:00 p.m. Evening Conversation—Mystery
Joseph Finder, House on Fire
Hank Phillippi Ryan, The First to Lie
Sunday, September 13
Young Adult Author Panels and Conversations
Panels are 45 minutes.
11:00 a.m. Witchy YA
Zoraida Córdova, Wayward Witch / Vampires Never Get Old
Alexis Henderson, The Year of the Witching
Christine Lynn Herman, The Deck of Omens
Moderator: Isabel Sterling, This Coven Won’t Break
12:00 p.m. Conversation—Writing Partners
Anna-Marie McLemore, Miss Meteor
Tehlor Kay Mejia, Miss Meteor
This panel has been cancelled. Both authors are based on the West Coast and have been affected by the wildfires.
1:00 p.m. Suspenseful Storytelling
Tiffany D. Jackson, Grown
Kelly McWilliams , Agnes at the End of the World
Rory Power, Burn Our Bodies Down
Diana Urban, All Your Twisted Secrets
Moderator: Hal Schrieve, Out of Salem
2:00 p.m. Conversation—Political Activism
Brandy Colbert, The Voting Booth
Natalia Sylvester, Running
3:00 p.m. Immersive Fantasy
Cinda Williams Chima, Deathcaster (Shattered Realms)
Marie Rutkoski, The Midnight Lie (Winner’s Curse trilogy)
Shveta Thakrar, Star Daughter
Moderator: Lyra Selene, Diamond & Dawn
4:00 p.m. Conversation—Fairytale Retellings
Kalynn Bayron, Cinderella Is Dead
Julie C. Dao, The Mirror: The Broken Wish
5:00 p.m. Exploring the Depth of Contemporary Romance
Nandini Bajpai, A Match Made in Mehendi
Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown
Moderator: I.W. Gregorio, This Is My Brain in Love