Proudly brought to you by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, the 2017 Harrisburg Book Festival will take place in the heart of Pennsylvania's capital at one of the nation's premiere independent bookstores. Featuring an array of award-winning and emerging literary sensations, the festival will celebrate the vibrant literary community of Central Pennsylvania and the necessity of literature to our culture. With events for all ages and reading preferences — including the keynote address from National Book Award Winner Ibram X. Kendi — the 2017 Harrisburg Book Festival will take place over four intellectually stimulating days from Thursday October 12th through Sunday, October 15th. Special thanks to our leading sponsors: Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, Messiah College School of Humanities, TheBurg Magazine, and WITF. We'll see you at the Scholar this October!
All events are FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and will take place on the MainStage at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. For full lineup details, VISIT OUR FESTIVAL WEBSITE
The 2017 Harrisburg Book Festival is grateful for the many and varied contributions of our wonderful sponsors and community partners. Their commitment and support of Central Pennsylvania's literary culture is invaluable to the sustainability of the Book Festival, now celebrating its 5th year.
Festival Sponsors: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Messiah College School of Humanities
Program Sponsors: City House B&B, Harrisburg Academy, Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities, Susquehanna University’s Department of English & Creative Writing, and Temple University Harrisburg.
Event Sponsors: Dickinson College Department of Creative Writing, Millersville University Department of English, West Chester University Graduate Studies
Media Sponsors: TheBurg Magazine, WITF
Community Partners: Gamut Theatre’s Popcorn Hat Players, The Millworks, Perry County Council of the Arts, The Triangle Magazine
TEXT LISTINGS:
Thursday, October 12th | 7pm: Opening Night Poetry Kick-Off with Safiya Sinclair, Joshua Bennett, Shara McCallum, and Shawan Rice.
Friday, October 13th | 7pm: 2017 Harrisburg Book Festival Keynote Address: An Evening with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Saturday, October 14th | 10am – Noon: Children’s Festival with Lauren Castillo and Jonathan Bean
Saturday, October 14th | 2pm: Let’s Talk Books: A Roundtable Discussion with Four Acclaimed Book Reviewers
Saturday, October 14th | 4pm: Light in the Darkness: A Conversation on Creative Inspiration with Joe Fassler
Saturday, October 14th | 6pm: The Art of the Novel: A Conversation with Jennifer Haigh and Liz Moore
Sunday, October 15th | 2pm: One Book, One Community: An Afternoon with Elizabeth Wein
Sunday, October 15th | 3:30pm: The Power of Seeing: Rorschach, the Inkblots, and the Enduring Relevance of the Iconic Test with Damion Searls
Sunday, October 15th | 5pm: The Haunted Life of Shirley Jackson: A Conversation with Ruth Franklin