StoryFest is a multi-day, genre-spanning literary festival, now in its fifth year.
StoryFest is the largest literary festival in the state of Connecticut. StoryFest is a celebration of the story in all its forms, and storytellers from across all media. StoryFest is where you can hear award-winning and debut authors talk about their work and books they have coming out this fall.
This year, maybe more than any other, we’re looking to return to a sense of the familiar — to a sense of community gathered. So please join us for this fifth annual celebration of reading, writing, ideas, and community!
EVENT SUMMARY
(Scroll down for full details and registration)
Friday, September 9 6 pm: Kick-Off: Isaac Fitzgerald in Conversation with Saeed Jones
Saturday, September 10, Author Panels 10 am - 4pm 10 am: Just Be… Just Listen, Just Create, Just imagine, Just Be You! (Children) 10 am: A Sight that Almost Stops Your Heart: A Panel on the Art of the Thriller 11 am: Do The Thing: A Panel on Perseverance 12 pm: The Circular Relationship: A Panel About Writers and Editors 1 pm: Resist and Rise Up: A Panel on Activism 2 pm: (Never) Too Much Horror Business: A Panel on Dark Fiction 3 pm: Rebuilding Community After the Apocalypse: Writing Out of the Pandemic 4:30 pm: Naomi Novik comes to StoryFest 2022!
Saturday Evening, September 10: 6 pm: Reading Glasses ... LIVE!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Evening
Isaac Fitzgerald in Conversation with Saeed Jones
Reception: 6 pm Program: 7 pm Location: Main Stage
Westport’s local authors and artists Sivan Hong, Lisa Cloherty, and Rosie Jon invite your families to a special StoryFest morning of creativity and inspiration! Featuring read-alouds by Sivan and Lisa and an interactive art project led by Rosie!
Whether it’s releasing your first book days into a global pandemic or breaking through at a major publisher after years of small press success, hear from a group of authors who don’t quit, no matter what.
Hear from a genre's premier editor, Ellen Datlow, and the award-winning authors she has worked with as they lift the veil on the symbiotic — and mysterious — relationship between writers and editors.
Whether writing out from under oppression or helping to shine a light on others who've historically been disenfranchised, hear how these writers have used their own unique voices to amplify the voices of others in their lives and work.
It's been a year (or three)! It's the understatement of our new reality , and writers — like all of us — have dealt with the challenges of today in different ways. Hear how writing and creating helped get this distinguished panel through the apocalypse. Moderated by Stephen Bowling.
Naomi Novik in Conversation with Tessa Smith McGovern & Patricia Dunn
Time: 4:30 pm Location: Main Stage
Join Tessa Smith McGovern and Patricia Dunn for an in-depth conversation with New York Times bestselling author Naomi Novik at StoryFest 2022! Be there as Tessa and Pat launch their brand-new podcast, Go Ahead, Write Something!
Book signing to follow. Promotional copies of The Scholomance Student Handbook will be available as a free gift with the purchase of any Naomi Novik book, while supplies last!
Raise a glass to StoryFest weekend on Saturday, September 10, with specialty cocktails and Reading Glasses!
Mallory O’Meara (James Beard Book Award-winning author) and Brea Grant (filmmaker and actress) bring their ultra-popular podcast, Reading Glasses, to the Library’s stage for a very special live event featuring guest stars Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Alexis Henderson, and Clay McLeod Chapman, and a virtual appearance by Sarah Gailey!
Don't miss the reception, which will feature signature drinks and small bites courtesy of Bill Taibe, 2021 Connecticut Restaurateur of the year and four-time James Beard Chef of the Year semifinalist.
About the Podcast: Want to learn how to make the most of your reading life? Join Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara every week as they discuss tips and tricks for reading better! Listeners will learn how to vanquish their To-Be-Read piles, get pointers on organizing their bookshelves and hear reviews on the newest reading gadgets. Brea and Mallory also offer advice on bookish problems. How do you climb out of a reading slump? How do you support authors while still getting books on the cheap? Where do you hide the bodies of the people who won’t stop talking while you’re trying to read? Mallory and Brea engage in a weekly discussion geared towards all kinds of book lovers — no matter what you read or how you read it.
