Be Part of the 2024 Bay Area Book Festival

Nomination Guidelines for Open Book Program

Returning for 2024! We are relaunching our session proposal process as Open Book, an opportunity for Bay Area partner organizations and individual curators to develop and present book festival sessions, leading up to the festival, at venues of your choosing throughout the Bay Area (see more detailed guidelines below).

Unlike individual speaker proposals, Open Book participating speakers are not required to have a recent book publication, though the proposed program must be (broadly) literary in scope. We are not looking for product promotions, plugs for businesses, or sessions featuring a single author publicizing their book. (Please visit our Sponsorship page if you’d like to discuss this type of program.)

Submissions can be made for events that fall outside the festival footprint/timeline, anytime between April 1 to May 31, 2024.

A few guidelines for Open Book off-site events:

• Priority will be given to free programming, although ticketed events will be considered.
• Open Book events cannot be fundraisers for any other organization or individual, and cannot solicit donations before or during the event.
• We will promote approved events as an official part of BABF on social media, on our website, and, as space allows, in other aspects of our festival marketing. In turn, we also call on our partner organizations to market the events through their respective networks.
• In exchange, all approved Open Book events will be required to feature provided BABF logos or marks on all promotional and marketing platforms and to promote both the specific event and the BABF more generally via the presenting organization/curator’s networks.
• Open Book curators are responsible for securing their own venues (including any applicable permits, fees, rentals, etc.) and for providing their own staffing, bookselling, and audiovisual support as needed. All expenses related to travel and supplies are also the sole responsibility of the curator.
• Open Book curators are also responsible for adhering to all state and local guidelines, including those related to COVID-19 and other public health concerns.
• Typical festival programs have included keynote speakers, conversations and interviews, panel discussions, storytelling and interactive experiences, literary performances, and workshops—but we want you to think outside the box! We encourage you to propose innovative programs and formats, from trivia contests to karaoke nights to hands-on workshops in writing, audio storytelling, and more, using venues that range from the traditional (bookstores, libraries, cafes) to the more unorthodox (tattoo parlors, bars, movie theaters). We also are very excited about proposals that take advantage of the many beautiful outdoor opportunities afforded to us in the Bay Area!
• We especially encourage proposals from BIPOC partners and presenters.

Note: A very limited number of session submissions may be selected for programs of up to one-hour in length to be held during the festival June 1 & 2 in Downtown Berkeley) using BABF-secured venues, staffing, bookseller, and audiovisual support. Any sessions selected for inclusion at the festival proper will receive all the same benefits as those participating in BABF-curated festival sessions (e.g., inclusion in speaker lineup and schedule grid, invitations to hospitality events, and access to Green Room). Space available for these programs is very limited, and we expect the selection to be extremely competitive.

Feeling inspired? We love to see it! To submit your Open Book session proposal, please fill out this form (one per session idea, please!)