How Literature Is an Activist Force

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,…

Want to Travel the World Without Leaving Home?

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…

Former Chez Panisse Chef with New Cookbook to Appear at the Festival

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…

Holding Corporations Accountable, with Authors Andrew Behar and Clair Brown

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…
radical hope carolina de robertis

New Book, 'Radical Hope,' Offers Ways to Find Hope in Uncertain Times

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…

Highly Anticipated New Releases This Spring

As the Washington Post points out in its article 38 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in Spring, there are plenty of exciting new releases on the horizon. Among them are highly anticipated new books from Roxane Gay and Scott Turow, both of whom…

Women’s History Month: Bay Area Book Festival Authors to Read Right Now

If you’re looking for a good book for Women’s History Month (or beyond), look no further than the stellar list of authors who’ll be appearing at the Bay Area Book Festival this year. Many have recent releases that are more than relevant…

Third Annual Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley to Highlight the Power of Literature for Social Change

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…

New List Highlights Books By Women of Color

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…

Black History Month: A Sampling of Book Recommendations

In honor of Black History Month, several news sites and organizations have published reading lists featuring books that celebrate Black history. We posted some on Twitter earlier this month, but wanted to highlight a few here, in case you want…