The Savannah Book Festival (SBF) returns this month for its 17th year of celebrating the written word. With a mission to promote reading, writing and civil conversation, the SBF has attracted an array of nationally acclaimed authors to Savannah since its inception in 2008.
Each year, more than 9,000 people attend the festival. This year, the festival is scheduled for Feb. 15-18 and Festival Saturday, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Feb. 17. About 30 author presentations are held at seven venues throughout the day. The venues are located downtown in the areas surrounding Telfair, Chippewa and Wright Squares.
Credit: [SBF]
Authors coming from a wide-ranging group of genres will give 30-minute presentations on their creative process, their characters and their careers in general. Each session is concluded with an author Q&A and a book signing. The Savannah Book Festival’s headlining authors include Ruth Ware, Jeannette Walls and David Grann who will speak at ticketed events on Thursday, Feb. 15, Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday Feb. 18, respectively. Headliners will give addresses at the Trustees Theater and each will give a 45-minute presentation on their process and life as a writer, followed by a Q&A and a book signing. For the first time this year, the SBF will present two panel discussions on Saturday afternoon with several authors from two genres–thrilling and historical fiction. Award-winning author and NPR book-critic, Denny S. Bryce will moderate the thrilling fiction panel and Jonathan Rabb, professor of writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design, will moderate the historical fiction panel.
Credit: [SBF]
Local authors Harrison Scott Key, Keith Miller, Dayton Duncan and April Tucholke will be presenting on Festival Saturday as will Michael L. Thurmond, a Stone Mountain resident who has a new book out on James Oglethorpe, the founder of Savannah. A few notable events that fans won’t want to miss on Saturday include the celebration of the 30th anniversary of a modern classic based in Savannah, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Author John Berendt is speaking at the Savannah Theater at 9am. Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried, is presenting his work of fiction, America Fantastic and TJ Klune, author of In the Lives of Puppets, wraps the theater trio at 11:40am.
James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia hits bookshelves Feb. 15; Thurmond is a presenting author at the 2024 Savannah Book Festival
Tickets, schedules, author profiles and more can be found online at www.SavannahBookFestival.org. Follow SBF on social media and reach them with questions at 912-598-4040 or info@savannahbookfestival.org. Another great way to track the festival and to get prepared for the President’s Day weekend Savannah Book Festival is by downloading the mobile app for the 2024 Savannah Book Festival in Apple and Google stores.
Free Festival Saturday is on Feb. 17, 2024 Credit: [SBF]
