The Jackson Hole Book Festival is a full day celebration of conversation between authors and readers of all literary genres, from fiction to non-fiction, biography to memoir, poetry to history. More than 30 renowned authors from around the country will engage with audiences about their own recently published books, while a “Book Festival Children’s Room” will host the acclaimed children’s authors who will engage in readings, activities, and conversation with their young audiences. Finally, throughout the day, thematic panel conversations with the authors — moderated by experts and sure to intrigue - will allow for deep and substantive discussions.
Many of the Festival authors will also spend the day prior to the event, with a range of students in the Teton County School District.
The Jackson Hole Book Festival celebrates books, authors, and readers to inspire conversation, deepen understanding, and enrich the connections within the community.
Kathleen enjoyed attending the Savannah Book Festival while living in the Southeast, listening and talking to authors speak about their writings and issues of the day. Following her move to Jackson she wondered why, and if a book festival could start here. Happily, she was introduced to Sharon Felzer and began a partnership to create the first Jackson Hole Book Festival. Jackson is fortunate to have many events and celebrations within our town, and a celebration of connecting authors and readers in a one-day festival, free to everyone, seemed an important goal to pursue.
My mother instilled in me a love for books, and shared the secret that 'books are your friends.' As we continue to see isolation and loneliness in our communities, I want the Book Festival to open up new ideas, dreams and introduce new 'friends' to all.
A couple of years ago, Sharon was inspired to find a way to bring more discourse and conversation to the Jackson Community and beyond. She always believed that books established the perfect platform for interesting and lively discussion and thinking, whether through fiction, biographies, memoirs, non-fiction, literary classics or children’s books. With this, the concept of the Jackson Hole Book Festival: Conversation for the Community came to exist.
Now, several years later, in collaboration with co-founder Kathleen Brown, the notion of people gathering around books, ideas, and conversation has become a reality for the Jackson community and surrounding towns and cities across the Mountain West.
I love books. I love to stare at my books on the shelves. Book festivals celebrate everything that I love about books. They generate ideas, inspire creativity, and produce the best conversations. Most important to me, they bring all kinds of people together through their wisdom and insights. I can’t remember a time when conversation for the community has been more essential than it is now.
Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
This project was supported in part by the Wyoming Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Wyoming and the National Endowment for the Arts.
This project was funded by a grant from the
Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
This event has been made possible through a grant from Wyoming Humanities.
