The Wisconsin Book Festival will return to Madison from Oct. 15 through Oct. 18, marking the festival’s 25th year of free author programming.
The festival is hosted by the Madison Public Library and the Madison Public Library Foundation, and offers free events both virtually and in-person.
The festival brings a host of different authors from a variety of literary genres to Madison. Past guests include Pulitzer Prize winners, politicians and award-winning authors.
This year’s lineup is no exception.
Emily St. John Mandel is coming to the Overture Center on Friday, Sept. 25th to present her new novel “Exit Party.” The sci-fi dystopian novel takes place in a future full of mysteries and parallel timelines, and the U.S. has split into warring city-states. Then, at the L.A. party where this novel opens, the host mysteriously goes missing, and guests begin to see doppelgängers of themselves.
John Green is also coming to the Overture Center on Thursday, Oct. 1 to present his new book “Hollywood Ending.” The best-selling author also visited Madison last February to present his medical nonfiction novel, “Everything is Tuberculosis.”
His new young-adult romance follows two young, rising actors cast in a movie about Andy Warhol. As they rise to fame, they’re forced to confront how fame disrupts their lives, security and privacy.
Author and music critic Steven Hyden is presenting his novel “Is This It: The Never-Ending Rise And Fall Of The Strokes (And Rock 'n' Roll)” at Central Library on Oct. 16.
Hyden has also written books looking at legends like Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Radiohead.
Hyden’s new book tells of the Strokes' struggle to reach long-standing commercial success, and how they endured the fall of rock n’ roll in the early 2000s. If you saw their concert this past August in Milwaukee, this reading and discussion would serve as a great encore.
An especially fascinating book being presented comes from entomologist and evolutionary biologist Dino J. Martins. A professor at Stony Brook University, Martins is coming to the Discovery Building on Oct. 16 to present his book “Hidden Creatures.”
The non-fiction book presents his research on parasites you can’t see. Martins does frequent presentations of his research, sharing how they’re more than “pests” and delving deep into what they contribute to our ecosystems.
The Wisconsin Book Festival is also hosting several poetry, reading and discussion sessions. These events host multiple authors who read their works aloud.
“Still/Here: Wisconsin Women Poets On Work, Life, And The Long Haul” is a panel bringing together six different Wisconsin poets.
The authors talk about their struggles with being creative while navigating their personal and professional lives. This panel encourages discussion on how to find this delicate balance.
Attending the Book Festival is a great interactive way to learn more about any given topic. It’s also an opportunity to meet different academics and authors. More information can be found on the Wisconsin Book Festival website or at Central Library on Mifflin St.
