Celebrating its 25th year, the 2026 Brattleboro Literary Festival will take place October 16-17, 2026 , in beautiful downtown Brattleboro. As always, the annual fall foliage weekend events are FREE and open to the public.Founded in 2002, the festival has grown into one of the region’s most significant annual gatherings, drawing more tourists, sponsors, and participants each year. Since its start, it has presented over 900 authors, including winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Women’s Prize, the Newbery Medal, and the Caldecott Medal, among others. Read more about our history and the past 25 years of literary excellence .
Meet the Authors
Brattleboro Literary Festival 2026 Schedule
All events are free and open to the public. We gratefully accept donations at the door.
Please note: event schedule and details are subject to change. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
Mitchell-Giddings Gallery
7:30 PM
James Dodson
Out on The Road That Made America
Friday, October 16, 7:30 PM
8:30 PM
Partner Event: A Tea for Stephanie
Friday, October 16, 8:30 PM
10:00 AM
Hannah Lillith Assadi
Karan Mahajan
Of Memory and Heritage
Saturday, October 17, 10:00 AM
Lisa Graves
Disorder in the Court
Saturday, October 17, 10:00 AM
Wyn Cooper
Tim Mayo
Unraveled Worlds
Mitchell-Giddings Gallery
Saturday, October 17, 10:00 AM
11:30 AM
John Seabrook
Frozen in the Bean Fields
Saturday, October 17, 11:30 AM
Lily King
Stephanie Wambugu
Of Friendship, Love, and Time
Saturday, October 17, 11:30 AM
Shara McCallum
Rebecca Hart Olander
Conflicting Histories
Mitchell-Giddings Gallery
Saturday, October 17, 11:30 AM
1:00 PM
Tilar J. Mazzeo
Amity Gaige
Uncharted Survival
Saturday, October 17, 1:00 PM
Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Jessica Francis Kane
Love in the Driver’s Seat
Saturday, October 17, 1:00 PM
Ann Braden
The Bully in the Brain
Saturday, October 17, 1:00 PM
2:30 PM
Erin Somers
Andrew Martin
The Lives We Live, the Lives We Imagine
Saturday, October 17, 2:30 PM
Jamaica Kincaid
Anne Fadiman
The Archness of the Essay
Saturday, October 17, 2:30 PM
Kevin McLellan
Iain Haley Pollock
Emerging Visions
Mitchell-Giddings Gallery
Saturday, October 17, 2:30 PM
4:00 PM
Gish Jen
Stefan Merrill Block
Mother, Dear Mother
Saturday, October 17, 4:00 PM
Monica Ferrell
Bianca Stone
Paradoxes of Perception
Mitchell-Giddings Gallery
Saturday, October 17, 4:00 PM
Beowulf Sheehan
Vaune Trachtman
Worth Thousands of Words
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
Saturday, October 17, 4:00 PM
7:00 PM
Partner Event: Write Action Open Reading
Saturday, October 17, 7:00 PM
11:00 AM
Partner Event: Write Action Spotlight Reading 2026
Sunday, October 18, 11:00 AM
12:15 PM
Partner Event: T.P. James’ Write-Like-the-Dickens Ghost Story Contest
Sunday, October 18, 12:15 PM
Event Locations
Event venues indicated with green pin. And be sure to visit our area bookstores and library, too!
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
Mitchell-Giddings Gallery
