Bay Area Book Festival

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Bay Area Book Festival

Join us in Downtown Berkeley June 4–6, 2027, for a series of world-class literary events for all ages.

Also featuring bookstores, publishers, writing programs, book art, individual authors, family activity zone, and more. The San Francisco Bay Area is a legendary literary mecca and the global capital of innovation. It's the perfect home for a world-class international book festival celebrating the past, present, and future of the book. Stay tuned for details about our 10th Anniversary festival taking place in Downtown Berkeley in late spring 2024.

08/18/2026

This year’ bazaar closes on Thursday at 9 pm PST. We still have items to bid on, now is your sign to take a browse.

Join writer and performer José Vadi for a virtual session focused on developing confidence and new approaches to live readings and presentations. Designed for those who may feel anxious about public speaking or are looking to refresh their delivery, this experience offers practical strategies for engaging an audience with clarity and presence. Participants will explore techniques for preparing, performing, and connecting with listeners, with attention to both mindset and craft. This is an opportunity to build confidence and approach live literary events with greater ease and intention.

Explore your relationship to money in a focused conversation with Sarah Valor. This session invites you to reflect on your money story, including how you think about, make, save, or raise money, and what patterns or beliefs may be shaping your financial choices.

Together, you will look at practical strategies as well as the larger narrative around money in your life or work. This is a chance to gain clarity, ask questions, and leave with fresh insight into how you approach money and possibility.

Join literary agent Linda Camacho for a 45-minute “Ask Me Anything” session focused on publishing and the writing or illustrating life. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the agenting process, submissions, career development, and navigating the industry. Participants are encouraged to bring specific questions or topics for discussion. This session offers direct access to an experienced literary agent and practical insight into the publishing landscape.

Join poet Maw Shein Win for a one-hour one-on-one consultation, available via Zoom or in person in the East Bay. This session is designed for poets seeking guidance on publishing, developing their work, and navigating the writing life. Participants are invited to bring questions about their poetry, submission strategies, or broader creative goals. This is an opportunity for focused conversation, practical advice, and insight from an established poet and educator.

When your reputation is on the line, what do y

08/13/2026

One week left of the Bazaar!

You won’t find these items at your average auction.

We’ve gathered 42 unique items and services, from writers’ workshops to audiobook narration, full manuscript critiques, Calistoga wine, a picture book master class, and so much more!

And best of all, 100% of the proceeds go toward supporting the operations of the Bay Area Book Festival.

So how does it work?

1. Register (takes one minute!)
2. Place your bid—you’ll be notified if you’re outbid.
3. Jump back in and bid again if you’d like. The friendly competition is part of the fun!
4. On August 20 at 9 PM PT, all winners will be notified via email. In the days that follow, winners will be connected with the providers of their winning items.

A few FAQs:

Are these items only for people located in the Bay Area?

No! In fact, most of our items are services that can be offered in person OR via Zoom.

I see you have two physical items (New Yorker Collection and a box of wine from Kalm Winery). How will I get those?

These two items are limited to folks in the Bay Area. If you’re the lucky winner of either (or both!), we’ll be in touch to arrange delivery or pickup.

One week left to browse, bid, and discover something special. Happy bidding! ❤️

08/06/2026

Swipe for a peek at what’s waiting for you at the Bibliophile’s Bazaar 👀

We’re officially open! Welcome to the Bibliophile’s Bazaar, our second virtual auction celebrating the power of stories and community. From one-of-a-kind creative experiences to magazine collections, manuscript reviews, signed books, and more, there’s something for every kind of reader, writer, and book lover.

Explore all 40+ offerings through the link in our bio.

Bidding is open now through August 20. Happy browsing! :)

Explore how poetry techniques can elevate your prose in this generative writing experience with Devi S. Laskar. Participants will learn how elements such as rhythm, imagery, line-level precision, and attention to language can strengthen narrative writing across genres. Through guided prompts and examples, you will experiment with incorporating poetic tools into your own prose, whether you are working on fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid forms. This session offers an opportunity to deepen your voice, sharpen your style, and approach prose with greater creativity and intention.

Receive a close, attentive review of your nonfiction or poetry manuscript, or a book proposal, from Tim McKee of North Atlantic Books. This offering includes feedback aimed at strengthening your work for publication, with attention to structure, clarity, voice, and overall positioning. Whether you are refining a full manuscript or developing a proposal, this is an opportunity to gain informed editorial insight from an experienced publishing professional and better prepare your work for submission.

ONLY AVAILABLE TO FOLKS IN BAY AREA: Acquire an extensive collection of The New Yorker magazines, totaling more than 1,800 issues dating back to the late 1970s. This archive offers decades of reporting, criticism, fiction, and iconic cover art, reflecting the cultural and political conversations of its time. Approximately half of the collection has been catalogued, providing a useful starting point for organization and exploration. This is a unique opportunity for collectors, researchers, or devoted readers to own a substantial and historically rich literary archive. Pickup in Berkeley or delivery for an

08/05/2026

The Bibliophile’s Bazaar kicks off tomorrow!

Register ahead of time, and starting August 6, bid on a thoughtfully curated collection of experiences, services, and literary treasures generously donated by the Bay Area Book Festival community.

Whether you’re a writer looking to hone your craft, a reader hoping to connect with fellow book lovers, or simply want to support the festival, every bid helps support the Bay Area Book Festival and the free literary programming that brings the community together every year.

Register today and add the launch to your calendars ✅

08/03/2026

What began in response to the 2016 election and a growing wave of book bans has grown into a beloved gathering where authors, artists, educators, families, and young readers come together to celebrate stories that center justice, diversity, and joy.

Help us make the next decade possible by donating, spreading the word, and giving Social Justice Children’s Book Holiday Fair a warm follow.

Save the date for the upcoming fair later this year on December 5, 2026! 💚

07/31/2026

Join us on Saturday, August 29 for a summer meetup with our Affinity Lit Collectives at Two Pitchers Brewing Company!

No RSVP required, just show up and enjoy a lovely summer afternoon together ❤️

Our Affinity Lit Collectives are free, member-led spaces for readers and writers to connect, share work, and explore across and within shared identities and experiences.

We currently have three collectives:

LGBTQIA+ Lit
Betwixt Lit
Women Lit

The current collectives are facilitated by When Reading Attacks, Mk Chavez, and Michaila Oberhoffer - Author, with each community shaped by the ideas and participation of its members.

This meetup will also be a chance to plant seeds for future collectives 🌱

Learn more about our Affinity Lit Collectives at baybookfest.org/affinity-lit-collectives/

We hope to see you there! 🍻📚

07/27/2026

The Hidden Life of Libraries with Dorothy Lazard and Alexis Madrigal 📚

Join us on August 19 at The New Parkway for a launch event celebrating Behind the Desk at the Main: A Librarian’s Memoir by Dorothy Lazard (Heyday Books), in conversation with Alexis Madrigal.

Hosted at The New Parkway Theater with Heyday and with books in the lobby by Nomadic Bookshop, this event offers a special opportunity to hear from one of Oakland’s most beloved librarians, Dorothy Lazard, as she reflects on two decades behind the scenes at Oakland’s Main Library.

Together, Lazard and Madrigal will discuss libraries as places of memory, possibility, and civic life, and consider what it means to protect these essential public spaces now and for future generations.

Meet our guests:

Dorothy Lazard is celebrated for her library career at the Oakland Main Library (especially at the Oakland History Center) and for her 2023 memoir, What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World, that tells the story of her youth in the Bay Area of the 1960s and ’70s, connecting her early intellectual pursuits to the career that made her a community pillar.

Alexis Madrigal is a journalist in Oakland, co-host of KQED’s current affairs show, Forum, and is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. Alexis spent many hours in the Oakland History Center while researching his book The Pacific Circuit: A Globalized Account of the Battle for the Soul of an American City, which explores how a logistical revolution that began in Oakland has reshaped American cities. He is also the proprietor of Local Economy (Local Economy), a community space in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood.

More info and tickets can be found in our bio! Excited for this one 💞

07/24/2026

Help us fill this year’s Bibliophile’s Bazaar!

The Bazaar is back for its second year, and we’re looking for donations before the auction launches on August 6.

Some ideas include writing or book coaching, custom artwork or design, workshops, coffee or tea with an author, editing services, and other literary experiences. We’re open to any and all ideas!

If you’re interested in donating, we’d love to hear from you as soon as possible.

As arts and culture organizations continue to navigate significant change and funding cuts, every kind of support matters more than ever. Whether you’re able to donate, share this post, or help spread the word, it makes a difference.

The Bibliophile’s Bazaar runs August 6–20! Visit the link in our bio to donate an item, or send us a DM with any questions. Thank you ❤️

07/06/2026

What comes after “normal” in a world like the one we find ourselves in today?

Join us virtually for the Merritt Dialogues this Wednesday, July 8th.

[in-person tickets sold out, thank you♥️]

“No More ’Normal‘: Radical Healing in a Hurting World” will bring together renowned physician and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté and social worker and wellness practitioner Nicole Steward for an evening of deep conversation about how we heal in a time of pervasive stress, inequity, and collective grief. Moderated by author and cultural critic Jeff Chang live at The New Parkway in Oakland, this conversation invites us to question any desire to ”get back to normal“ and instead imagine forms of radical, community-centered healing that address the roots of both personal and collective suffering.

Joining us virtually, Dr. Gabor Maté and Nicole Steward will explore the connections between trauma, the body, and our broader systems, and offer pathways toward more compassionate, just, and resilient ways of living together. In-person tickets are now sold out, but virtual tickets are still available, welcoming everyone to join us from wherever you are.

We’re honored to be holding space with the East Bay Meditation Center East Bay Meditation Center for this one, as well as our partners Oakland Central, KALW 91.7FM, Grounds for Impeachment, new ig, and The New Parkway Theater

Sending love to everyone during these times. We look forward to gathering with you this Wednesday. Thank you for being here 🤍

06/05/2026

Next year’s festival will take place June 4–6, 2027, guided by the theme: Reconstruction

We can’t iterate enough how special this year’s festival was to us. Thank you to every reader, writer, volunteer, small press, community org, local bookstore, exhibitor, and behind-the-scenes human/dog/cat who helped bring this annual beloved gathering to life.

Stay tuned in BABF world for year-round programming and storytelling: including with our Affinity Lit Collectives and at the Merritt Dialogues (the next one is July 8)

Donate and become a Friend of the Festival if you’re able to 💛

More to come soon.

Thank you for Writing the Future with us.

Address

Oakland, CA
94601–94615, 94617–94624, 94649, 94659–94662, 94666

Website

http://www.baybookfest.org/

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