2026 Festival at a Glance
April 16
Thursday
LIT CRAWL
Multiple Venues, Downtown Columbia
7:00 p.m. - Late
April 17
Friday
AUTHORS IN THE SCHOOLS
Boone County Public Schools
All Day
KEYNOTE:
Terry Tempest Williams
Missouri Theatre
7:30-9:30 p.m
April 18
Saturday
CHRIS HARRIS &
QUARTEZ HARRIS
Daniel Boone Regional Library
100 W. Broadway
10 a.m. –1 p.m.
MAIN FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Multiple Venues, Downtown Columbia
9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
2026 Panels
Author Conversations
FULL SCHEDULE BELOW
April 19
Sunday
WRITE ON! WORKSHOP
Stephens College Senior Hall
10:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday Festival Schedule of Events
Download a copy of the schedule HERE
Click here to download a screen-reader friendly version of the schedule - coming soon
PANEL: Community Silences
Katy Ballroom in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Sam Cohen, James Owen, Gwen Paradice
Moderator: Cristina Mislán
PANEL: A Decade of Writing the Lower Midwest
Orr Street Studios / 106 Orr St
Featuring: George Frazier, Leslie VonHolten, Andy Oler, Kieron Walquist
Moderator: Nancy Bell
PANEL: Jane Austen
Serendipity Salon and Gallery / 1020 E Walnut St., Suite 100
Featuring: Janet Saidi, Devoney Looser
POETRY: Leyva, Rexilius
Top Ten Wines / 111 S 9th St., #160
LITERARY JOURNAL FAIR
Ridgeline in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
PANEL: What’s the Buzz?
Katy Ballroom in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Julie Carrick Dalton, Andrea Rexilius, RK Fauth
Moderator: Rachel Walker
PANEL: Valiant Women
Orr Street Studios / 106 Orr St
Featuring: Amber Adams, Jillian Danback-McGhan, Lena S. Andrews
Moderator: Grace Hagen
PANEL: Hit the Road
Serendipity Salon and Gallery / 1020 E Walnut St., Suite 100
Featuring: Sarah Kendzior, BJ Soloy, Nancy Crochiere, Sam Kolawole Moderator: Caylin Capra-Thomas
AUTHOR CONVERSATION: Don’t Tell the President
Little Ragtag at Ragtag Cinema / 10 Hitt St
Featuring: Jean Becker
Moderator: Charles Zug
POETRY: Rollins, Nuernberger
Top Ten Wines / 111 S 9th St., #160
LITERARY JOURNAL FAIR
Ridgeline in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
12:05-1:15 p.m.
SPECIAL EVENT: Free Expression in the AI Era
Katy Ballroom in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
PANEL: Innovators, Agitators, Provocateurs
Katy Ballroom in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Steve Almond, Tony Tulathimutte, Kathryn Nuernberger
Moderator: Jenny Bossaller
PANEL: Two Revolutionary Histories
Orr Street Studios / 106 Orr St
Featuring: Ted Genoways, Caleb Gayle
Moderator: Christopher Leonard
SPECIAL EVENT: Pictures of the Year Photographer Kilii Yuyan
Big Ragtag at Ragtag Cinema / 10 Hitt St
PANEL: Warp Speed Ahead - Nerd Culture and Literature
Little Ragtag at Ragtag Cinema / 10 Hitt St
Featuring: Jennifer Maritza McCauley, Steven Leyva, and Donald Quist
Moderator: Sheri-Marie Harrison
PANEL: Disappearing Acts
Serendipity Salon and Gallery / 1020 E Walnut St., Suite 100
Featuring: Kyle Minor, Mitchell Douglas, Naeem Murr
Moderator: Simon Rose
POETRY: Adams, Fauth
Top Ten Wines / 111 S 9th St., #160
LITERARY JOURNAL FAIR
Ridgeline in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
PANEL: Out There Screaming - New Black Horror
Katy Ballroom in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Justin Key, Erin E. Adams, LD Lewis
Moderator: John Joseph Adams
PANEL: Woo Woo Cthulhu - Cults, the Occult and New Age
Ridgeline in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Leah Sottile, Olivia Muenter, Joshua Wheeler
Moderator: Caroline Dohack
AUTHOR CONVERSATION: Monsters and Murder
Orr Street Studios / 106 Orr St
Featuring: Jenna Blum and Emily Franklin
Moderator: Mary O'Malley
PANEL: Boomtown
Serendipity Salon and Gallery / 1020 E Walnut St., Suite 100
Featuring: AnnElise Hatjakes, Claire Vaye Watkins, Christopher Coake
Moderator: Tina Casagrand Foss
POETRY: Douglas, Soloy
Top Ten Wines / 111 S 9th St., #160
PANEL: Water of Life
Katy Ballroom in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Michelle Anderson, Ted Genoways, BJ Soloy
Moderator: Jim Meyer
PANEL: Profits Over People
Ridgeline in the Broadway Hotel (lower level) / 1111 E Broadway
Featuring: Alec MacGillis, Dan Kaufman, Christopher Leonard
Moderator: Kathy Kiely
PANEL: Tales from the Book Tour
Orr Street Studios / 106 Orr St
Featuring: Samuel Kolawole, Olivia Muenter, Kyle Minor, Alison C. Rollins, Christopher Coake, Jenna Blum
Moderator: Alex George
PANEL: Creating Audiobooks
Serendipity Salon and Gallery / 1020 E Walnut St., Suite 100
Featuring: Daniel Henning
Moderator: Grace Hagen
POETRY: Walquist, McCauley
Top Ten Wines / 111 S 9th St., #160
Poetry Reading: Janine Joseph, Jenny Molberg, & Jose Faus
Poetry reading with Janine Joseph, Jenny Molberg, & Jose Faus