Decatur Book Festival announces 20th anniversary lineup

The Decatur Book Festival (DBF) has announced the full lineup for its 20th anniversary even on Oct. 3-4 in downtown Decatur.

Free and open to the public, the festival will bring together more than 100 local, regional, and national authors to celebrate “20 Years of Stories.” Saeed Jones and Angie Thomas will open the festival on Friday evening, with remaining sessions running Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The weekend’s programming will feature author conversations, book signings, cooking demonstrations, live performances, an expanded street fair, children’s activities, and special community events.

Featured books will be available for purchase the weekend of the festival, or purchased in advance through Brave and Kind Bookshop, Charis Books & More, Eagle Eye Bookshop, Little Shop of Stories, and Tall Tales Book Shop.

“For twenty years, the Decatur Book Festival has brought readers and writers together to celebrate stories, spark conversation, and build community,” DBF Executive Director Leslie Wingate said in a statement. “This anniversary lineup reflects our mission: to showcase diverse voices, elevate new ideas, and make literature accessible for all. We are thrilled to welcome back longtime festivalgoers and introduce new audiences to the joy and energy that make DBF such a treasured part of Decatur and the literary world.

Headlining Author Highlights and Keynotes

• Saeed Jones and The People’s Project — Acclaimed poet and essayist will headline Friday’s 7 p.m. keynote in conversation with Victoria Chang, Tiana Clark, and Aruni Kashyap. Register here
  
• Angie Thomas — The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give and On the Come Up will headline Friday’s 6 p.m. “Kidnote”, discussing her new book, Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Book of Anansi. Register here
  
• Stacey Abrams — Nationally recognized leader and New York Times bestselling author returns with her latest thriller, Coded Justice.
  
• Mary Roach — Bestselling science writer (Stiff and Fuzz) with her forthcoming Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy.
  
• Elizabeth George — Internationally acclaimed crime novelist, best known for the Inspector Lynley series, with her latest novel A Slowly Dying Cause.
  
• Jason Mott — National Book Award–winning author of Hell of a Book with his newest novel, People Like Us.
  
• Jen Hatmaker — New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and speaker, presenting her new memoir Awake.
  
• Rebecca Ross — #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author with Wild Reverence.
  
• Andrew Greer with Kim Carter Fuller — More Than a President, reflecting on President Jimmy Carter’s spiritual legacy.
  
• Heather Christle — Poet and author of The Crying Book, with recent memoir In the Rhododendrons and new poetry collection Paper Crown.
  
• W.J. Lofton — Author of A Garden for Black Boys Between the Stages of Soil and Stardust and the 2025 poetry collection boy maybe.
  
• Tiffany D. Jackson — New York Times bestselling YA author of Monday’s Not Coming, with her recent novels Blood in the Water and The Scammer.
  
• Delilah S. Dawson — Author of Star Wars: Phasma and the Blud series, with her latest middle grade horror novel Ride or Die.
  
• Derrick Barnes — National Book Award finalist and acclaimed author with new releases The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze and I Got You: A Brother’s Promise.
  
• Kalynn Bayron — New York Times bestselling YA fantasy author, with her new YA novel Make Me a Monster and her middle‑grade series The Vanquishers.
  
• Landon Bryant — Social media personality (@landontalks) and author of Bless Your Heart: A Field Guide to All Things Southern, with his new book ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, Y’all.
  
• Kimberly Belflower — Tony-nominated playwright Kimberly Belflower in conversation about her acclaimed Broadway show “John Proctor is the Villain,” plus a live reading from the play.

Emerging Student Writers

The Emerging Student Writers Stage at the Decatur Library will showcase readings by students from the following universities:

• Georgia College & State University
• Georgia State University
• Kennesaw State University
• Mercer University
• University of Georgia

Culinary & Community Programming

• Culinary Stage and Georgia Grown Culinary Village: Chefs, authors, culinary experts and live cooking demos including Alan Byers, William Dissen, Brandon Hurtado, Annette Joseph, Natalie Keng, Kevin Mitchell, Duane Nutter, Mary Shrader, David Shields, Belinda Smith-Sullivan, Steven Satterfield, Hank Shaw and Joshua Swinney.
  
• Task Force for Global Health presents Atlanta Leaders on the Future of Global Health: A Community Dialogue on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m., moderated by Emmy-winning journalist Rickey Bevington, with speakers from the Task Force for Global Health, The Carter Center, CARE USA, and the CDC Foundation.
  
• Lunchtime Literary Leg Stretch at Decatur Cemetery: Take a midday stroll through Decatur Cemetery and explore the stories of local literary legends!

Street Fair & Entertainment

On Saturday, Oct. 4 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), downtown Decatur will transform into a lively street fair featuring more than 100 exhibitors: authors, poets, publishers, booksellers, artists, and local businesses, alongside food trucks and live entertainment.

The Entertainment Stage, emceed by Beloved Dillard, M.Div., DD, poet laureate, will showcase BOOM! Trio ft. Lavahi, Night Palace, Dad’s Garage Improv, Arkose, Rose Hotel, and Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics.

Children’s Activities

Family-friendly programming includes the Storyland Fun Zone and Tales for Tots, with partners such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Fernbank Museum, High Museum of Art, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta History Center, Decatur Robotics, DeKalb Public Library, and many more. Additional highlights: the Children’s Parade and Children Read book drop-off. 

Supporters of the festival can donate here or register to volunteer at this link.  The full festival lineup is available at decaturbookfestival.com.

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