The 19th Annual Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors

Calling all bookworms! The 19th annual Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors takes place September 26-29 in downtown Winston-Salem.

September 23, 2024

What is the Bookmarks Festival?

The Bookmarks Festival is the largest book festival in the Carolinas and includes keynotes, book signings, and panels featuring internationally acclaimed authors. Last year’s festival was attended by 30,000 people!

As part of the festival, featured authors will visit 40 schools in the area, reaching an audience of 8,000 students from pre-k to college! The visits are provided at no cost to the schools.

The Backstory of Bookmarks

The Bookmarks Festival started in 2004 with around 5,000 attendees. The festival later expanded into a literary arts non-profit organization and independent bookstore, which both operate under the name Bookmarks.

Notable Authors Attending This Year

• Stacey Abrams (While Justice Sleeps)
• Emily Giffin (The Summer Pact)
• Amalie Howard (The Worst Duke in London)
• Stacy McAnulty (Forever Twelve)
• Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes)
• James Rollins (Sigma Force series)

Festival Events

Thursday, September 26

• Festival Opening Keynote: TJ Klune (The House in the Cerulean Sea)
  • $38
  • First Baptist on Fifth, 6:30 PM

Friday, September 27

• Books & Bites, where attendees can meet festival authors early and avoid the Saturday signing lines
  • $45
  • Benton Convention Center, 7 PM

Saturday, September 28

• All-day festival featuring:
  • Free author panels
  • Free book signings
  • A dozen food trucks
  • Over 60 exhibitors
  • Book-themed kids activities and crafts at “Dragon Alley”
  • Takes place in downtown Winston-Salem between Fourth to Second Streets and Poplar to Marshall Streets
• Morning Keynote with Stacey Abrams (Stacey Speaks Up) and Zaila Avant-garde (Words Are Magic)
  • Free admission
  • First Baptist on Fifth, 9 AM
• Closing Keynote with Carol Anderson (One Person, No Vote) and Michael Eric Dyson (Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote)
  • Free admission
  • Calvary Moravian Church, 5 PM

Sunday, September 29

• Closing Festival Brunch with the hosts of Friends & Fiction
  • Starts at $50
  • Benton Convention Center, 11 AM

If you enjoy the Bookmarks Festival, you’ll love exploring these local bookstores in Winston-Salem!