SBF Presents: Conversation with SBF Board Member Tucker Compton
Savannah Book Festival Board Member Tucker shares with us his first year on the board.
SBF: When did you join the SBF Board of Directors?
Tucker: I joined SBF Board in 2025 for the 2026 festival.
SBF: How long have you been attending SBF?
Tucker: My wife and I have been coming to the Festival since I moved back home to Savannah in 2023.
SBF: What is your favorite element of SBF?
Tucker: I’d say my favorite element is just the energy and community feeling that you get on Festival Saturday. Walking around the squares and beautiful, historic venues there is a buzz in downtown Savannah, you can’t help but see & hear the attendees that are all there for the same reason: their love of books & reading. There is something about complete strangers talking to each other about a shared passion that is rare to find nowadays.
SBF: Do you have an unforgettable moment with an author from the 2026 Festival?
Tucker: I wouldn’t say there was a particular moment from this year’s Festival, but my favorite speaker was Anthony Vinci who wrote The Fourth Intelligence Revolution. His talk on AI and how it is shaping the world right now and into the future is fascinating. I constantly think about my children’s future and the world that we are leaving to them, and I feel that this revolution will shape their livelihoods as the internet did mine.
SBF: What is your go-to genre? What are you currently reading?
Tucker: I bounce back and forth between non-fiction intelligence/military operation books and fiction, fantasy novels depending on my mood. Sometimes I’m trying to learn and other times I want an escape. But, right now, with a newborn and a two year old, it’s hard enough to keep my eyes open as is, so unfortunately I don’t have a book on my bedside table.
SBF: Who would you love to see at SBF 2027?
Tucker: I like seeing authors that I haven’t previously heard about. Learning new names and books is one of the more fun parts of the Festival for me. My wife would love to see Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden though!
SBF: What does SBF mean to you?
Tucker: The SBF is a pillar of the art community of Savannah which I believe makes Savannah unique. Bringing these authors and attendees into our city to enjoy each other is a treat that more people should experience. The fact that we get to offer this for free to our community is a blessing that can only be done because the people of Savannah want it to be that way.