Dear Friend of the Festival, We do it “to live twice,” as Anais Nin wrote. Her paramour Henry Miller recommended it “to give our souls a chance to luxuriate.” Gustave Flaubert called it “a perpetual orgy.” Ian McEwan said it allows a person to “be so engrossed that you barely know you exist.” Yes, we […]
Are the next festival’s dates on your calendar yet? April 28-29, 2018! We’ve gone through some dark times recently in the Bay Area, the skies literally darkening, and so many people have faced devastation. We want to offer some solace through what we know best, literature, so instead of closing our newsletter as usual with a poem, […]
Next Festival: April 28-29, 2018! Hello! We know you’ve been staring longingly at your 2017 Bay Area Book Festival program since June. We appreciate the love, but we’re here to tell you to snap out of it because we’re back with a BIG announcement — our 2018 festival will take place April 28-29. Be sure […]
By Cherilyn Parsons, Bay Area Book Festival Founder and Director Literature is one of the most powerful tools for social change because it shapes the most potent force that humankind has: hearts and minds. When hearts and minds are mobilized, watch out—as we have seen with books from The Origin of the Species to The […]
The easiest way to travel to a far-off land is by reading a book. Literature offers a deep dive into foreign places and people from backgrounds very different from our own. It is the next best thing to going there in person. And yet in the United States, only 3% of books published are works in translation. […]
Writer Samin Nosrat worked for several years at Chez Panisse, and Alice Waters described her as “America’s next great cooking teacher.” Now Nosrat has published Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, combining the best of her cooking and teaching talents into a cookbook. The book, illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton (New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Gutsy Girl, […]
Interested in putting your money where your heart is, and making financial decisions that are in line with your values? On Sunday, June 4, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from two leading authors on the topic — Andy Behar and Clair Brown. Andy Behar is founder of the Oakland-based nonprofit As You Sow and author […]
In these uncertain and turbulent times, how do you hold onto hope, optimism, and courage? For Carolina De Robertis, the answer lay in Radical Hope, a book she conceived of three days after the election. The essays in Radical Hope are socially conscious love letters written by award-winning novelists, poets, political thinkers, and activists, including […]
With 200 authors, 100 literary events, a film and literature series, and 200 exhibitors, including children’s activities, the 2017 Bay Area Book Festival returns to Berkeley the weekend of June 3-4. As the official announcement notes, the festival will feature acclaimed writers including New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay; Micah White, co-creator of Occupy […]
What new books are you looking forward to reading this year? How about one of the titles on this list from R.O. Kwon? She highlights 34 books by women of color and says, “Inclusion has real consequences, and if you’re looking for the perfect gift to buy your Republican uncle or your racist cousin, here’s a shopping list.” Sounds […]