2023 Prologue Schedule

Crying in H Mart: An Evening with Michelle Zauner and Soleil Ho

In celebration of the paperback release of Crying in H Mart, the Bay Area Book Festival is honored to host Zauner’s only Bay Area book tour appearance this spring. She’ll be in conversation with San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho at Oakland’s gorgeous California Ballroom in what promises to be a wide-ranging discussion of love, loss, cultural identity, the art of memoir writing, and, of course, food.

• Environment/Nature
• Food
• Outdoor
• Ticketed

Berkeley Foraging Walk

Mia Andler

Heyday Books is proud to present a local foraging walk with Mia Andler. Click here to read more.

Presented by Heyday Books

• Literary

Dominican MFA Reading

Britta Stromeyer Esmail, Judy Halebsky, Matthew Kline, Abby Peyton Laporte, Reneé Marie, Nichole Turnbloom, and Sandy White

The event is a partnership between Dominican University of California's MFA in Creative Writing Program and Sausalito Books by the Bay. The event features current students, alumni, and faculty of the program. Presenters will read from samples of their poetry and prose writing in the cozy setting of a small bayside bookstore. Click here to read more.

Presented by Sausalito Books by the Bay and Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing at Dominican University of CA

Nightcrawling: A Conversation with Leila Mottley and Shereen Marisol-Meraji

Last July, Oakland native and author Leila Mottley took the literary world by storm with her critically-acclaimed debut novel, Nightcrawling. Mottley became the youngest ever Booker Prize nominee and the youngest author ever picked for Oprah’s Book Club. Join us for a homecoming evening with the author, interviewed by Shereen Marisol Meraji, as we celebrate the official release of the paperback version of Nightcrawling in her hometown of Oakland, CA and on the stage where she was named the 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate.

• Environment/Nature
• Outdoor
• Ticketed

A Birding Walk in Point Reyes Station with Artist and Author Keith Hansen

Keith Hansen

Heyday Books is proud to present a Point Reyes Birding Walk with Keith Hansen. Click here to read more.

Presented by Heyday Books

• International
• Literary

German Writer Thomas Brussig with Jonathan Franzen

Thomas Brussig and Jonathan Franzen

German novelist Thomas Brussig, author of "The Short End of the Sonnenallee," appears with English translator, award-winning writer Jonathan Franzen.

Presented by Mechanics' Institute

• Poetry

Celebrate National Poetry Month!

Henri Cole and Brenda Hillman

Two nationally known award-winning poets read from their new works and talk about their influences and passions.

Presented by Mechanics' Institute

• Writing & Publishing

Queer Bedtime Stories

Scott Sessions

Queer Bedtime Stories is an opportunity to re-seed the fertile ground of your imagination with poetry, memoirs, and history from our people: LGBTQ+ ancestors and creators alive today. Together, let's uncover the richness of our shared history and catch a glimpse of the blossoming future. Click here to read more.

• Outdoor

Hayward Lit Hop

A variety of local writing groups will put on hour-long readings and shows at various venues, mostly for all ages, and all free and open to the public! We'll gather at Hayward's Heritage Plaza first for music and an Earth Day-themed reading from poet laureates from around the East Bay, then disperse to venues along B Street downtown, then congregate again for music and refreshments at the Sun Gallery, which will showcase a climate change–themed art exhibit. Click here to read more.

• Literary

Survive & Thrive: A Literary Reading & Conversation with Devi S. Laskar & Lucy Jane Bledsoe

Lucy Jane Bledsoe and Devi S. Laskar

Lucy Jane Bledsoe and Devi S. Laskar will read from their new novels and discuss how they write with an eye toward redemption that is true and honest. Click here to read more.

Presented by Oakland Public Library

• Literary

Alta Live: Author Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley, interviewed by Blaise Zerega

Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jane Smiley joins Alta Journal editorial director Blaise Zerega to discuss her new collection, "The Questions that Matter Most," explore the connection between the writer and the reader, and answer your questions during this free virtual event.

• Poetry

New Works from Barbara Tomash, Joan Baranow and Dominican MFA Writers

Joan Baranow and Barbara Tomash

Join Barbara Tomash and Joan Baranow reading from their new poetry collections. Dominican MFA students and alums will also share brief excerpts from new works. This is a free event. Click here to read more.

Presented by Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing at Dominican University of CA

• Literary
• Writing & Publishing

Bagels with Writers

Faith Adiele, Grant Faulkner, Michael David Lukas, and Shanthi Sekaran, hoste by Janis Cooke Newman

Spend Saturday morning with bagels and coffee in the company of four talented authors. Click here to read more.

Presented by LitCamp

• Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Writing & Publishing

Sistah Scifi Author Expo

Sistah Scifi

We will have 12 to 14 indie Black and Indigenous speculative fiction writers showcase their work with physical and digital copies available for purchase. In addition, we will bring Sistah Scifi Bookish Tea Party vibes with areas to play games, read, and, of course, color!! This event is appropriate for readers of all ages. Click here to read more.

Presented by Sistah Scifi

• Ticketed
• Writing & Publishing

Book Conservators in Private Practice

Juliayn Coleman and Karen Zukor

Join us for a look behind the covers, with an in-person discussion of books conservation with practitioners in private practice. Click here to read more.

Presented by American Bookbinders Museum

• Comics & Graphics

All-Ages Adventures: The Wonderful New Worlds of Graphic Novels

Susan Beneville, Alex De Luca, Emily Martin, Melissa Pagluica, and Samuel Sattin

A panel of Bay Area indie creators explore the vibrant world of indie, self-published, and small press graphic novels, comics, and webcomics that truly are for readers of all ages.

• Literary
• Writing & Publishing

Black Fire This Time

Heather Buchanan, devorah major, and Nia McAllister

Inspired by an anthology featuring over 100 poets and writers celebrating the roots and legacy of the Black Arts Movement, this lunchtime writing workshop will feature Heather Buchanan, who presents writing workshops and readings across the country and is the publisher of Aquarius Press/Willow Books. Click here to read more.

Presented by National Writing Project

• Current Affairs
• Literary

Words on War: Readings by Writers from the Former USSR

Katya Cengel, Andrei Kurkov, Maggie Levantovskaya, Masha Rumer, Simon Shuster, Vlada Teper, Sasha Vasilyuk, Olga Zilberbourg

Writers and journalists from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, and the United Statesshare work in response to the war in Ukraine. Click here to read more.

• Culture
• History & Biography

Spies & Journalists: Daughters Breaking Silence

Leslie Absher and Eric Newton

Leslie Absher, daughter of a CIA father, and Eric Newton, husband of the late author and Bay Area journalist Mary Ann Hogan, discuss how memoir led each writer to better understand themselves and their secretive fathers.

Presented by Great Good Place for Books

• Poetry
• Ticketed

Berkeley Poetry Slam

Berkeley Slam

A 25-year landmark and staple of Berkeley culture, Berkeley Slam at the Starry Plough Pub on Shattuck is a medley of great art, good food/beer and great vibes! Click here to read more.

Presented by Rich Oak Events