SBF@Schools
SBF promotes literacy through author visits to classrooms.
Previous Festival Headliners
Learn more about the authors and books that’ve been a part of SBF in recent years.
2027 Festival
Ticketed headliner events on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
40+ author talks on Free Festival Saturday.
SBF COUNTDOWN
ABOUT the
SAVANNAH BOOK FESTIVAL
The Savannah Book Festival is a 4-day event with a ticketed opening address on Thursday evening, a ticketed keynote address on Friday evening, a full day of free author talks on Festival Saturday, and a ticketed closing address on Sunday afternoon.
EVENTS
The four-day Savannah Book Festival centers around three main components: three ticketed Headliner Events, Free Festival Saturday, and our renowned SBF@Schools program. Drawing over 9,000 attendees annually, SBF strives to promotes reading, writing and civil conversation within each unique event. Read below to learn more about SBF offerings and how you can get involved for the 2027 Festival!
Headliner Events
Headliner Addresses are ticketed events presented in the Lucas Theater in Downtown Savannah. Headliners give a 45-minute presentation on their creative process and life as a writer, followed by a Q&A and book signing. The lineup for the 2026 Festival consisted of Sean Dietrich to provide the Opening Address, Brad Thor with Ward Larsen to provide the Keynote Address, and Leigh Bardugo to deliver the Closing Address.
Festival Saturday
Our lineup of nationally-recognized authors from wide-ranging genres provide 30-minute solo presentations on their creative process, followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Presentations take place in museums, churches and theaters in the heart of Downtown Savannah. Food trucks will provide delicious refreshments between presentations.
SBF@Schools
Each year, SBF authors can choose to arrive a day early to the Festival to discuss their creative process, early educational experiences, and influences and successes in their writing lives with local middle-school, high-school, and college students. The SBF@Schools program brings both fiction and non-fiction authors writing about a vast array of subject matters to inspire and impassion students.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Every year, the Savannah Book Festival seeks to showcase over 40 nationally recognized and award-winning authors in the historic city of Savannah. Authors with a book published within a calendar year of the Festival are invited to give 30-minute solo presentations and host book signings.
FESTIVAL INFO
The 2026 Savannah Book Festival takes place February 5–8 in Savannah’s Historic District. Each year, more than 9,000 people attend three ticketed Headliner Address events and our free Festival Saturday. Festival Saturday showcases nationally recognized authors across genres in Savannah’s historic squares, with 30-minute talks, Q&A, and book signings. Headliner Addresses are held at the Historic Lucas Theater, featuring 45-minute presentations followed by Q&A and signings.
DONATE
Please consider a one-time gift today or join our community of committed supporters by making a recurring monthly donation. Your sustained support provides us with a reliable foundation, allowing us to plan for the future and expand our mission in Savannah.
VOLUNTEER
Be part of our success story. Our four-day literary celebration brings together some of the finest authors and most passionate readers in the country. This event is made possible by the dedication of over 200 volunteers. We can’t do it without you. This is your opportunity to connect with fellow book lovers, authors, and community leaders. Join our team and make a lasting impact on our Festival and our city.
NEWS & UPDATES
We’re Hiring for a Development Director
SBF Presents: Our SCAD Intern Graduates
SBF Presents: Local Author Corner with Kendra R. Parker
FOLLOW US @savbookfestival
In 2008, we began a journey to celebrate the power of the written word in the heart of Savannah. Two decades later, the Savannah Book Festival has become a beloved tradition because of you.
As we design our 20th year celebration, your feedback will guide our headliner selections, special events, and community goals. Visit the link in our bio to complete the survey with your suggestions!
Working closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors, the Development Director fosters a culture of philanthropy and builds meaningful donor and sponsor relationships in support of the Festival’s mission and growth. View the full job posting at the link in our bio to see position requirements and how to apply.
Just a few short months ago, Riley joined SBF as our 2025 SCAD intern. Now, she’s heading to NYC, pursuing a master’s in Narrative Medicine. Read more about her time with the Festival at our website!
Every year, the Savannah Book Festival seeks to showcase over 40 nationally recognized and award-winning authors in the historic city of Savannah. Authors with a book published within a calendar year of the Festival are invited to give 30-minute solo presentations and host book signings. Visit our website to learn more about submitting an author!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
SBF Celebrates Dublin-born author Colum McCann. We hosted McCann in 2025 with his first major nonfiction book, “American Mother”, written with Diane Foley, the mother of slain journalist James Foley.
Tune in to C-SPAN2 tomorrow from 2:30 to 6:30 PM ET for BOOKTV’s segments from SBF 2026! Recorded at Trinity United Methodist Church, these nonfiction speakers are selected by C-SPAN each year for later broadcasting. We can’t wait for you to see!
And with that, the 2026 Savannah Book Festival comes to a close with our final Headliner, Leigh Bardugo, on Sunday, February 8th. Leigh blew us away with her talent, expertise on process, her clear dedication to craft, and captivating conversation, and we’re so grateful that she was able to be a part of this year’s Festival.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support us, all those who donated, the wonderfully talented and vibrant authors we had in attendance this year, every volunteer, and all our board and staff members for making the 2026 Savannah Book Festival one to remember. We’re so grateful and are walking away from this Closing Address event feeling so inspired and energized. Thank you, Savannah. Thank you all!
#sbf #savannahbookfestival #exploresavannah #authortalk #bookstagram
Free Festival Saturday is underway! We hope to see you there! 📚🤩
We encourage you to download our SBF app if you haven’t already; that way, you can receive notifications when venues are reaching capacity and stay in the loop about all things Book Festival. Thank you!
#sbf #savannahbookfestival #authortalk #exploresavannah #bookstagram
Thank You
to Our SBF Sponsors
