... A multi-day, genre-spanning literary festival, now in its sixth year.
… The largest literary festival in the state of Connecticut.
… A celebration of the story in all its forms, and storytellers from across all media.
… Where you can hear award-winning and debut authors talk about their work and books they have coming out this fall.
TREFZ FORUM
The renowned author of American Gods, Coraline, and The Sandman series joins us for the StoryFest 2023 keynote conversation and the Fall 2023 Malloy Lecture in the Arts.
TREFZ FORUM
With scheduled authors Angie Kim, Gabino Iglesias, Stephen Graham Jones, Caroline Kepnes, Josh Malerman, Clay Mcleod Chapman, and many, many more.
Specific panel details can be found below. Panel discussions will be free of cost; registration is encouraged so we can plan appropriately.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
Hear about the importance of seeing yourself in the stories you read, from a very young age.
With Sally J Pla, Sivan Hong, Dan Poblocki, Lorien Lawrence, Janae Marks. Moderated by Meagan Flynn co-owner of Black Rock Books in Bridgeport. Sponsored by Black Rock Books.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
Women are having their moment in crime fiction. Whether it’s mysteries, thrillers, or suspense, female authors are creating powerful female characters who break molds and catch killers. Hear what five authors, all part of Sisters in Crime Connecticut (SinC-CT), have to say about how writing crime fiction from a female point of view impacts their approach to storytelling.
With Manju Soni, Elise Hart Kipness, Emily Arsenault, Wendy Walker, and Lynne Constantine. Moderated by author and co-president of Sisters in Crime CT, Tessa Wegert.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
Genre fiction’s preeminent editor returns with a brand-new collection, Christmas and Other Horrors: An Anthology of Solstice Horror.Ellen Datlow and some of her favorite contributors from this and other collections talk about the artform that is short fiction and the literature of the fantastic.
With Cassandra Khaw, Josh Malerman, Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, and Bracken MacLeod. Moderated by Ellen Datlow.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
Familiar and safe, alien and uninhabitable, marked by the past and vulnerable to the present and future: The concept of home — whether in our bodies or in the physical spaces they inhabit — can evoke complex and seemingly competing ideas. Take a journey with these five writers as they explore the visceral connections between home, identity, and belonging.
With Mitzy Sky, Oliver Radclyffe, Namrata Patel, Sonya Huber, and Sidek Fofana. Moderated by the Director of the Connecticut Writing Project and Associate Professor of Literacy in Educational Studies and Human Development at Fairfield University Dr. Bryan Ripley Crandall.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
What elements do writers consider while elevating the voices of historically underrepresented and often marginalized communities in their work? Join our panel of acclaimed authors, all writing at the top of their genres, as they discuss how racial and cultural identities intersect with their craft and the importance of visibility on the page.
With Stephen Graham Jones, Magogodi Makhene, LaQuette, Angie Kim, and Cassandra Khaw. Moderated by Connecticut Poet Laureate Antoinette Brim-Bell. Sponsored by Kindred Thoughts Bookstore in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
Join today’s top horror writers as they explore that fascinating thread that weaves between horror and humor. Find out how horror can be the best genre to examine themes of grief and loss — and also hope and humanity — as we ask: How do you write your darkness without drowning in it?
With Clay McLeod Chapman, Gabino Iglesias, Eric LaRocca, Rachel Harrison, and Owen Egerton. Moderated by the former president of the Horror Writers Association, John Palisano.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
What do two rock stars, an ex-police officer, a lawyer, a game designer, and an Emmy-winning TV host all have in common? We’ll explore life’s transitions with an all-star lineup of authors who come to the craft from very different walks of life.
With Lynne Constantine, Travis Myers, Dave Hill, Lizzie Stark, and Josh Malerman. Moderated by two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Jay Schadler.
TREFZ FOURM
FREE (REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED)
Get inside the minds of today’s best thriller writers to find out what it takes to keep readers on the hook. Explore the mechanics of building tension and delivering a killer ending.
With Caroline Kepnes, Angie Kim, May Cobb, T.M. Dunn, and Gregory Galloway. Moderated by award-winning and bestselling author Gabino Iglesias.
SATURDAY, 10-11:30 am in BROOKS PLACE
FREE (DROP IN)
Join us for readings by picture book authors.
SATURDAY, 2-4 pm in THE HUB
FREE (DROP IN)
Children of all ages, join us in the Hub, on the Library's main level, to create your very own monster crafts, in conjunction with StoryFest 2023. Make a 3D Monster Figurine or a Halloween mask to take home.
It is sure to be a spooktacular time!
Deep-dive, intimate conversations with StoryFest authors and artists, all moderated by Westport’s own Kerstin Warner Rao.
Clay McLeod Chapman will stage a live recording of his Fearmongers podcast live with Josh Malerman and Stephen Graham Jones.
It’s StoryFest ... and almost Halloween! What better way to start your spooky holiday than with a Pinkalicious Halloween Parade!
The Komansky Room
REGISTRATION FEE COLLECTED BY BLOOM WRITERS
You’re ready to speak to an agent about your fiction or nonfiction memoir. But where? And how? Attend PitchFest in person or via Zoom and you’ll have a chance to speak to the agent of your choice about your book!
Gary Lucas, one of the world’s foremost rock guitarists, hits StoryFest Sunday, accompanying George Melford’s 1931 Spanish-Language Dracula film with a live acoustic and electric guitar score.
