This month the literature lover’s favorite event, the Six Bridges Book Festival, will return for its 21st year with plans to host approximately 50 authors for free panel discussions, readings, book signings and other events.
Hosted by the Central Arkansas Library System, most festival events will be held within CALS Library Square in downtown Little Rock.
“For our attendees, what makes the festival so special is its accessibility,” festival coordinator Drew Herget says. “Most of the festival is free — including the opening night reception — allowing anyone to come, meet these authors and interact with others who share their passion for books. That kind of access to authors is rare, and it’s one of the things that truly makes the Six Bridges Book Festival so special.”
And while plans for this year’s event have been in the works since 2023, CALS faced a major hurdle this summer when the festival’s first-ever chairperson, former Arkansas Senator Joyce Elliott, suffered a stroke.
“We were thrilled to have former Senator Joyce Elliott accept the role,” communication director Tameka Lee says. “She has been a longtime supporter of the library and a champion for education, and we continue to send thoughts and prayers for her recovery.”
Despite her absence, education remains a key factor of the festival, which not only allows thousands of readers to meet some of their favorite authors, but also sends many presenters into local schools to inspire young readers and writers.
“The WITS (Writers in the Schools) program is one of my favorite things about the festival,” director of programming Ellen Samples says. “Giving students opportunities to meet and listen to authors, as well as receive a free copy of their books, is a great way to connect youth to literature and the festival.”
This year, approximately 20 authors are slated to participate in WITS, representing a range of backgrounds and genres including Jasmin Graham, a marine biologist focusing on sharks; Carrie Sun, who has written a memoir on her time working in private equity; Margot Livesy, a Scottish-born fiction writer; and Eli Cranor, an Arkansas native who writes mysteries and thrillers.
“I have had the pleasure of attending a WITS visit and have witnessed the authentic connection many students have with writers in the classroom setting,” director of development Eliza Borné says. “It would not be unusual for a visiting author to report to us that their time in the classroom with students was the highlight of their visit to Little Rock.”
Also with young readers in mind, the Little Readers Rock event held in partnership with the Junior League of Little Rock will take place on a Sunday this year instead of its traditional Saturday slot.
“We hope this change allows parents and caregivers who are interested in attending author sessions for adults to have an easier time participating in panels and sessions on Saturday, while also still enjoying family events at our children’s library the next day,” Samples says.
The festival will conclude with a special ticketed event to raise funds in support of the festival itself. Ann Patchett, best-selling novelist and author of essays and children’s books, and Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of the “Fancy Nancy” series, will have an onstage conversation about creativity and collaboration at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with tickets selling extremely well,” Lee says. “It’s thrilling to have an author of her caliber, along with Robin Preiss Glasser, at the festival. This occasion presents a chance to hear two phenomenal storytellers in conversation while also financially supporting future festivals.”
This year’s festival also presents the perfect opportunity to reveal some of the main library branch’s renovation plans to the local reading community.
Borné says one of the most attractive features of the transformed library will be the new meeting spaces on the fifth floor offering the added benefit of the best views of the library. Another new eye-catching element will be the building’s open roof terrace.
“This space will be perfectly suited for hosting programs like author panels, readings and cooking demonstrations,” Borné says. “The Six Bridges Book Festival already has wonderful venues, and to be able to include beautiful new meeting spaces at the main library will help make the festival even more appealing to authors and audience members.
“I often say that with the renovated main library, central Arkansans will have the world-class facility they deserve. Programs like the Six Bridges Book Festival will help bring the building to life and inspire community members to return again and again.”
“I truly believe the festival helps foster community,” Herget says. “If you’ve ever spent any time with a room full of readers, you know what I mean. The joy of loving a book, of wanting to share that with someone, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Book Fest Bunch’s Can’t-Miss Events
► Drew Herget: Jasmin Graham on her memoir “Sharks Don’t Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist”; Brian Fairbanks, who has written a book on outlaw country music called “Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever”; Ann Byrn’s cooking demonstration from her book “Baking the American South”; the romance panel with Susie Dumond and Myah Ariel.
► Tameka Lee: Ayana Gray’s session with Kamilah Cole, author of “So Let Them Burn.” (“I keep telling everyone that I binge-read Ayana’s ‘Beasts of Prey’ trilogy, so I’m eager to hear her insights and see her interact with Kamilah.”)
► Ellen Samples: Dr. Bettina Love’s presentation on her book “Punished for Dreaming.”
► Eliza Borne: Jasmin Graham of “Sharks Don’t Sink”; Ilyon Woo, who won the Pulitzer Prize this year for “Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom”; Lana Williams on “The Container Garden Recipe Book,” who is giving a demonstration as part of her talk.
Six Bridges Book Festival
Hosted by the Central Arkansas Library System
Sept. 22-29 | Info: sixbridgesbookfestival.org