The 23rd annual Baltimore Book Festival returns to Baltimore's Inner Harbor with hundreds of award-winning and best-selling local, regional and national authors for an exciting three-day celebration on
September 28, 29 and 30, 2018 from 11am to 7pm daily
. Drawing thousands to Baltimore’s bustling Inner Harbor, the festival has 200 + hours of programming for all ages, including readings on multiple stages, cooking demonstrations and samplings, workshops, panel discussions, storytellers, children’s activities, the annual Storybook Parade, live music, and food and beverage
.
Amid skyscrapers and nationally known attractions, festival-goers can immerse themselves in the literary arts with:
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Staff Reads with Kelsey Bryner, Donor Stewardship Coordinator
for BOPA
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Q. What book are you currently reading?
A. Oh gosh, that’s a complex question. I’m normally a person who reads a lot of books at one time. The book that has my attention the most right now is definitely
Good Girl Revolt
by Lynn Povich. It is actually the book that inspired the Amazon Series by the same name.
Q. What authors are you excited to see at this year’s Baltimore Book Festival?
A. I’m really excited to see Nic Stone talk at the Enoch Pratt Free Library Children's Stage. She’s an amazing author who writes such great stories that are really true to the time we are currently living in. It’s a treasure to have her at the Baltimore Book Festival.
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Author & Programming Highlights
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Sunday, September 30, 1pm
Literary Salon
Presented by the Maryland Humanities Council, author Tim Junkin and Kirk Bloodsworth discuss Bloodsworth’s story of being exonerated after being sentenced to Maryland’s gas chamber and spending nine years on death row. Junkin’s book,
Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA Evidence
, is the 2018 One Maryland One Book selection.
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Sunday, September 30, 2pm
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Children's Stage
One Book Baltimore author Nic Stone discusses her
New York Times
best seller
Dear Martin
with Letrice Gant of Baltimore Ceasefire 365. The new initiative provides opportunities for Baltimore City seventh and eighth graders, their families and community members to connect through literature by reading the same book.
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Literary Salon,
West Shore Park
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Under large white canopies awaits a one-of-a kind literary experience. Each day of the festival features nationally recognized authors from an array of genres, book readings and signings, and audience Q&As in the Literary Salon. Visit these authors & more:
- A.J. Jacobs, Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey, Saturday, September 29, 12pm
- April Ryan, Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House, in Conversation with Bill Whitaker of CBS News, Sunday, September 30, 12pm
- Tayari Jones, An American Marriage, Oprah’s Book Club 2018 Selection, in Conversation with Donna Drew Sawyer, CEO, Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Sunday, September 30, 2pm
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The Ivy Bookshop Stage,
Sondheim Fountain
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The Ivy Bookshop Stage provides a weekend hub for writers of all levels. Join widely known novelists, journalists and poets from every corner of Baltimore & beyond. Visit these writers & more:
- Maya Alexandri, The Plague Cycle, Friday, September 28, 6pm
- Ben Fountain, Beautiful Country Burn Again: Democracy, Rebellion, and Revolution, in Conversation with Eileen Rivers, Saturday, September 29, 2pm
- The fourth annual University Writers Program, showcasing student writers from 10 area universities, Sunday, September 30, 3pm
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Maryland Romance Writers Stage,
Maryland Science Center Lawn
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Escape into new and diverse romance fiction with Maryland Romance Writers. The stage offers a wide-ranging mix of discussions, how-to advice, book signings and giveaways. Visit these novelists & more:
- Lori Ann Bailey, Highland Temptation, multiple appearances
- Pintip Dunn, Star-Crossed, multiple appearances
- Keeping It Real: World Building in Romance, a discussion on what it takes to build and create a captivating backdrop to the best love stories ever told, Sunday, September 30, 5pm
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Baltimore Book Festival, A One-Stop Shop!
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Need an author’s book or a gift to commemorate your experience? We’ve got you covered. The Ivy Bookshop is our official bookseller and will sell copies of appearing authors’ books at the stages as well as the festival’s bookshop.
The festival features literary exhibitors including bookstores, publishing companies, independent presses, writers’ associations and cultural organizations. Visit Exhibitors & Booksellers for unique finds.
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Top of the World Observation Level
401 E. Pratt Street, 27th Floor,
Baltimore, MD 21202
Top of the World Observation Level features a breathtaking, 360-degree view of the Inner Harbor, history displays and art exhibitions year-round. During the Baltimore Book Festival weekend, the attraction offers
free admission
and programming with
Pets on Wheels
. Children can select their favorite book, and then read to a therapy cat and dog. These gentle canines are amazing listeners.
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Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower
21 S. Eutaw Street Baltimore, MD 21201
Each Saturday of the month, the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower features artists in studio, exhibitions, clock room tours and special events. Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower resident artist Stacy Stube leads
Write Your Own Story & Self-Publishing Workshop
on Saturday, September 29 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. The writer and fashion designer will also do a book reading and signing, followed by a visit to the festival.
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- “Top Baltimore-area book readings and literary events for fall 2018,” The Baltimore Sun
- “The Best Books of 2018 (So Far)” (Tayari Jones), Esquire
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Thank You Sponsors & Donors!
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The Baltimore Book Festival is produced by the Baltimore Office of
Promotion & The Arts, a 501 (c)(3) serving as the city's arts council,
events center and film office.
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